As Deemed By Fate
by Jade Catseye
Summary: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful, exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist. KikInuKag
1. Erotica

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. They are the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi and other big time proprietors whom I know nothing about.

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**Title**: **_As Deemed By Fate_**

**Rating**: **R** (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Kik/Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, an avid exotic that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist.

**Chapter One**: **_Erotica_**

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**Erotica**

"You are a lying, cheating bastard, Inuyasha," she spat shaking the black laced thong in her hand all the while keeping her frosty brown eyes that burned with hidden fury trained on her soon to be spouse's exasperated face. Although her body language practically screamed vehemence, she kept it calmly masked behind her usual stoic mask of indifference. "I can't believe you would bring one of your dirty whores from the streets into our home and then have the nerve to leave her skimpy panties in my drawer." Her grip tightened on the thong, the emergence of white beginning to show on her knuckles.

"Kikyo," Inuyasha began, his voice tight with impatience and equal vexation as he embedded his nails into his palm, "you know damn well I would never do something as low as fool around with other women. Fuck woman, you're my fiancé! I gave up that life a long time ago and I don't plan on returning to it! What the fuck happened to the trust in this damned relationship?"

Her mask slipped at this, revealing just how angry she was. With facial features twisted in petulance and repulsion, Kikyo threw the panties at the man, who caught them without hesitation. "That's what happened to our trust. You betrayed it and then lied about it to my face! Just admit it-!"

"Admit what?" the white haired man snapped. He held up the undergarment to her face. "These are fucking yours Kikyo! I gave them to you as an anniversary gift a month ago! You just never chose to wear the damned thing and have since been buried beneath the ton of crap you have in your drawers, which is why I never bought you anymore seeing as though you don't like thongs!"

Throwing the skimpy piece of satin onto the floor, Inuyasha took one long stride toward her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Do you really believe that I would sleep with another after I've been devoted and with you for a year? Do you really believe I would go back on my promise when I told you that you would be the only woman in my life from now on? That I would give up the playboy lifestyle and settle down for once?"

Unaffected by his heartfelt speech, Kikyo pressed her hands against his chest and shoved him away. Her embittered eyes narrowed to slits. "I don't know what to believe anymore. Perhaps your former womanizing antics have clouded my judgment," she responded, venom dripping from her every word.

The nerve in his jaw began to twitch. "I've never been with another woman besides you since the day we met. Hell, I haven't had sex the fucking six months that we've been together since you want to wait until you get married! Doesn't that count for something?"

Kikyo gave a very unladylike and very uncharacteristic snort. "You've lied so much in the past I don't know whether even that is fact or fiction." She threw the thong that lay on the floor beside them a dirty look. "Sometimes, I wonder why I decided to marry you in the first place."

"You know what? Sometimes, I wonder the same damn thing." Instead of continuing to defend himself against her false allegations, Inuyasha pivoted on his heel and grabbed the suit jacket he had tossed on the bed before the falling out had occurred. Before walking out the bedroom door, he slanted a wary glance over to her still fuming form. "I don't know what to say Kikyo. You don't believe what I say nor have any faith in the nonexistent trust that is supposed to exist between us. I don't have to stay here and listen to this shit. If you need me, I'll be at my condo. Thanks for such a wonderful fucking birthday."

Without another exchange of words, he left.

His blood red Lamborghini barreled out of the garage and down the gravel driveway until he was past the black iron gates that surrounded their manor and onto the main road. '_Stupid wench_,' he inwardly seethed, '_how the fuck can she think I would cheat on her? And after six fucking months of going out? We're getting married in a month and she still thinks I'm out seducing and womanizing every female I come across_.'

Inuyasha zoomed past the intersection where yellow had already shifted to red, too infuriated to bring his beloved vehicle to a stop when so many turbulent emotions raged through his body and mind. So what if he had a questionable past which involved giving into his manly desires and needs.

He deserved it.

At twenty five, he was the co-owner of the biggest corporate investment firm in the world and on top of his game. He got what he wanted, when he wanted, and wasn't afraid to live life on the edge. He was young, sexy, filthy rich, and would be a fool not to use all those attributes to his advantage.

His fleeting flashbacks of the past were rudely interrupted by the shrill sound of his cell phone. Repressing the sudden urge to smash the mobile device to pieces for interposing on his thoughts, Inuyasha snatched the phone from the passenger seat. "What?"

"Oooh, somebody sounds like they're not having a very happy birthday. Kikyo not giving you what you want?" chuckled the amused, baritone voice of one of his best friends.

"Does she ever? What the hell do you want? Im busy at the moment."

"Busy thinking about when your woman is ever going to give you some?"

"Miroku," Inuyasha ground out, "I am going to rip out your spine through your ass if you don't-"

"Sorry, sorry. I had to say it," the other man joked. "Assuming by the edginess in your voice, am I right in presuming that you two had a little premarital spat and won't be doing anything for the duration of the night?"

"Yeah, what's your point?" Inuyasha inquired suspiciously.

"Well, since it is your birthday and your wife is being a bit stingy with the goods, I was thinking that you would like to join myself and the rest of your friends at this new club that has just opened up not far from my place."

Inuyasha hesitated to answer. Kikyo had made him promise that as soon as they were betrothed, he wouldn't engage in any of his previous controversial activities, one being club hopping in the city at all hours of the night.

"Come on Inuyasha. The old ball and chain already got you weighed down?" Miroku baited, recognizing the silence on the other end as an internal conflict between what he wanted and the wishes of his fiancé. '_Wow, Kikyo must really have him on a short leash for him to be taking so long to come up with an answer. Normally, Inuyasha would be the one pestering me to go to the club with him._' "I didn't know Kikyo had so much control over your actions."

"She doesn't control anything!" Inuyasha snapped irately, and then turned on his navigational system. "What are the fucking directions."

'_Hook, line, sinker_,' Miroku mused, silently congratulating himself on his successful manipulation of Inuyasha's intelligence, or lack thereof. "Don't worry my friend; this shall be a night you will never forget."

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Kagome did a once over on herself in the full length mirror upon finishing dressing for the evening's show. Wavy, ebony tresses that almost caressed her waist intermingled with crimson clip on streaks, creating an elaborate display of untamed passion that brought out her mystifying, yet alluring sapphire orbs that were framed with thick, long lashes and the darkest of mascara. Blush and a shimmer of glitter tinted her cheeks and glossy cherry red lipstick painted her full lips.

The 3 piece vinyl firewoman guise completed the red hot sex appeal, inclusive with both a matching brassier and low rise thong, which was supported by a lace garter, a short firewoman jacket, hat and red four inch heels that were designed more like an ankle boot with an open heel and lace up front design. What more could you expect from a girl that had been dubbed Ember, which accounted for both her attire and her temper?

Kagome ripped her eyes away from her apparel wistfully, unable to stand what looked back at her any longer. Guilt gnawed at her soul for what she was doing. If her family ever found out what she did during while they were all sleeping, they would probably disown her. The money she made on a good night here far surpassed what they made at the shrine in a week and really helped out with the upsurge of various bills that had found their way into their home over the past couple of months ever since her mother became sick and lost her job.

And of course, whenever her family commented about where the extra money was coming from, she would say it was the product of another of her part-time jobs. They never did ask what that job was and so she never had to lie or say she worked as a part-time exotic dancer at a downtown club, at odd hours of the night.

The nerve in her jaw twitched. Hell, if anything, they should be grateful she dragged her ass out of bed every other night of the week to go dance in front of a bunch of testosterone raging men, with a gluttony for half naked women shaking their asses and breasts in front of their face. As if it wasn't hard enough taking classes in college, thanks to a scholarship she received when she graduated from high school and helping out at the shrine when she had the time, she had to endure hours of endless obscene remarks and ogling. She had always wanted to be a dancer and go on to be a Broadway star or something of that sort, but this was a far cry off from her life's dream. Life was so ironic at times, it was almost funny.

A gentle hand on her shoulder jarred Kagome from her reverie and unfortunately transporting her back to the present. "Are you all right?"

Kagome waved him off, a smile gracing her lips at her boss's concern for her well being. "I'm fine Hiten. Just a little trip down memory lane, that's all."

His intense cerulean eyes pierced her own for a minute. "You know you can always come to me if you're having any type of problems, be it at home or here in the club."

"I know, and thanks, but nothing serious is going on with me. Really. If there was, you'd be the first one to know about it." She ruffled his bangs playfully with a grin.

The corners of his mouth curved into a smile, unwittingly highlighting the handsome features of his visage. "Good. Now behave tonight. We have some clientele coming in with very deep pockets, so if you want that extra couple of hundred, no verbal or physical abuse to them if they look at you the wrong way or say something offending."

Kagome rolled her eyes, feigning exasperation. "I'll try."

"Be good, Ember." Hiten leaned over, his lips softly grazing her cheek for a chaste kiss, and with the wink of an eye, he left, his dark braid swaying behind him as he exited the dressing room, unaware of the other swooning women staring longingly at him.

No sooner had he left the vicinity when two of women who had been previously enjoying the view of their boss's backside hustled over to where she stood.

"So Kagome, what was that all about?" the taller of the two questioned with an eyebrow quirked in curiosity, mischief shining in her brown eyes as she waited for an answer.

"Calm down Momiji, he was just checking up on me to make sure I was ok," Kagome blinked innocently.

The shorter one, fully clad in feline attire stared at her skeptically. "You know, I'm beginning to think something is going on between you and the big boss man. He never comes around and personally checks up on any of the other girls, only you sweetheart." A devilish grin stole across her features. "Are you screwing him?" she whispered.

Kagome felt a heat engulf her entire face. "No, I am not Suki," she hissed back at her friend.

"He is just a good friend. He's the one who got me this job in the first place."

"You two would make such a good couple," Momiji said, a wistful glint in her eyes as she envisioned a scene in her mind. "It would be like a fairy tale. Owner of exclusive exotic dance club and about half the city hooks up with a college, shrine maiden, who both live happily ever after in his mansion on the eastside."

"I'm not into Hiten like that."

"You're on a first name basis with him," Suki pointed out.

"Isn't everybody?"

"The only time he's ever addressed me by name was when I first interviewed for the job, and that was months ago," Momiji said.

"Oh hell, admit it Kagome. The guy has the hots for you and you for him, but you're just too damn blind to see it." Suki bent over the vanity table to look into the mirror as she applied her eyeliner. "If I were you, I'd screw the bastard since he's probably in love with your ass anyway, marry him, move into his place, have his kids, and never work another day in my life for as long as I live. Shit, he has enough money to last five lifetimes."

"God Kagome, you are so lucky that some uptown guy is interested in you. I would give anything to have somebody provide for me and Lin," Momiji said referring to her five month old baby daughter while reapplying lipstick.

"I don't need some man to help me out," Kagome huffed indignantly, "I can do just fine providing for my family on my own."

"Sometimes you're too stubborn for your own good," Momiji scolded her lightly.

"Take a good opportunity when it pops up, girl. Do you know how fucking tired I am when I come home, after working ten hour shifts at WacDonald's and hearing people bitch about the service or the quality of the food?" Suki combed the tangles out of her hair. "By the end of the day I'm exhausted and irritable and ready to assault the next person who comes up to tell me that there's not enough salt on their fries. I swear, people just ask for it sometimes."

"You should have heard her this afternoon Kagome," Momiji muttered. "With her potty mouth and hostile attitude, I'm surprised the managers haven't fired her yet."

"Today was the worst day of all. I swear, some people are only alive because it's illegal to kill them."

"She said to this one guy Well now that you've ordered just about everything on the menu, I'm sure that the large diet coke will really do some good and cancel out the 10,000 calories you're about to eat while you sit on your ass and do sweet fuck all nothing for the next two hours'," she mimicked the grouchy, annoyed tone that the bad tempered woman usually presented herself with.

Kagome stifled a giggle. "Suki, you are so bad."

"I do not sound like that," the woman grumbled hotly.

"Should I hand you the fries or shove them up your fat ass? What the fuck are you standing around staring at the menu for jackass? We've had the same menu for the past 25 years! Get the fucking quarter pounder and leave!'" Momiji and Kagome began cackling with laughter.

"So I have anger management problems," Suki sulked crossing her arms and glaring at the laughing girls, the telltale twitch of her lips betraying her amusement.

"All right ladies." The rolling sound of hands clapping brought everyone's attention to the doorway where a short, bald man stood, a blush staining his pale cheeks at the beautiful women now staring at him. "It's that time again. The curtain rises in ten minutes, so we're going to get into position now. I hope you all do your best and milk those bastards for all they're worth."

The strippers cheered and hurriedly began checking over themselves in the mirrors to make sure their make up and outfits were straight before heading out.

"Gods, it's a damn shame Maten didn't inherit any of his brother's good looks," Suki commented with a sigh. "I'd screw the bastard in a heartbeat if he compared anything marginally close to what Hiten looks like."

"He's not exceedingly hideous," Kagome defended the man she considered a friend while cramming her possessions that were laid out on the table into her duffel bag.

Both of her friends slanted her doubtful glances.

"That's a load of-ouch!" Suki pouted nursing the shoulder where the woman in the showgirl outfit had just pinched her. "What?"

Momiji schooled her face in an expression similar to that of a teacher who had just caught a student vandalizing school property. "Now, now, Wildcat, you know that our Kagome's heart is as big as her ass, so of course she's going to have a soft spot for all of the losers and freaks out there."

"Hey!" the firewoman craned her head over her shoulder to take a peek at her posterior. "My butt is not that big."

Suki snorted throwing her bag under the table. "Aww, to be young and naive again…I'm so glad that those shitty years are over and done with."

"You're only three years older than me," Kagome said dryly whilst sliding her firewoman hose around her neck so that it hung limply down the front of her costume.

"Point taken and noted."

"Come on ladies. Let's do this so I can go home." Momiji caught both females by their wrists and lead them out of the dressing room. "Paying babysitters by the hour is a bitch."

Sighing, Kagome followed the other girls to their designated positions, her frame of mind shifting out of the playful demeanor so she could focus on the task at hand. During the first couple of weeks of being employed as an exotic dancer, she had learned firsthand that the key to blocking out the lust hungry faces of the audience, the hoots, the hollering, and the flood of humiliation that attacked her conscious at dancing virtually naked in front of strangers was to distance herself from it all. She would totally immerse herself in the attitude and mindset of her character Ember'; a young woman full of fire and passion with an almost feral air surrounding her, someone who was oddly comparable to Kagome herself, minus the skimpy getup.

Drawing a steadying breath, Kagome let her fingers glide down the smooth, red surface of the nozzle of the hose, inwardly running through her sequence. Though she usually preferred impromptu performances, Maten had informed her when she first arrived that tonight had to be special since it some important guy's 25th birthday. Not that she cared, but she might as well give it her all since he was supposedly loaded. And there was nothing more she enjoyed than choreographing her own material and performing them in front of audiences, even if it was in front of horny men.

"Good luck Ember," Momiji winked at her and put on her crown of feathers.

"College girl doesn't need luck. She's the better dancer out of all of us bitches put together anyway. Isn't that right," Suki grinned and slapped her back.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Kagome smiled, ignoring the dull throb of where she had just been hit and began stretching alongside the other females on the floor. She would be so happy when her shift would be over so she could go back home to nice, cozy bed and sleep the rest of what was left of the night. Hopefully, the guys they would be dancing for would pass out early on and not linger around for an encore presentation.

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"You so much as breathe on this car and I will fucking castrate your ass and shove your balls down your throat," Inuyasha growled, tossing his keys to the Lamborghini to an ashen faced valet that stood trembling before him. "Got that kid?"

The youth nodded vigorously, sweat beginning to dot his brow under the white haired man's intense golden gaze. He visibly relaxed when the hot tempered man averted his gaze to an approaching figure behind him.

"Inuyasha, you made it," Miroku grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement, "I thought you would chicken out at the last minute and go crawling back to Kikyo."

Quicker than the eye could detect, Inuyasha was in front of the man and had him dangling in the air by his collar. "Don't fucking play with me monk," he barked, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I've had a pissy day and you're just about to push me over the edge."

"Jeez, calm down Inuyasha. You need to lighten up some, I was only joking." Miroku glanced down to where his feet hung suspended in midair. "You mind putting me down?"

Grudgingly, Inuyasha complied and set the other man down, a scowl firmly implanted on his face. "Let's get this over with."

After adjusting the collar of his cream colored silk shirt, Miroku draped an arm lazily around his friend's shoulder. "What's wrong this time?" the monk asked guiding him into the entrance, nodding to the bouncer, who instantly moved aside so they could enter, much to the displeasure of the other people waiting impatiently in the line that wrapped around the entire block.

"Kikyo's bitching again." Inuyasha balled his fists, unsure if he wanted to touch upon the fragile subject with his best friend. "Damnit, for some reason she has it in her mind that I'm sleeping with other women after I swore to her that I've been faithful to her the ever since we began dating. I haven't so much as touched another woman in six months."

An expression of thoughtfulness donned Miroku's features as he retracted his arm from his friend's shoulders and brought his hand to stroke his chin. "It seems as though Kikyo has trust issues. Could it possibly have something to do with your questionable reputation as the undisputed playboy of Japan?"

Inuyasha stopped walking to grab his friend by the collar once more, wide golden eyes ablaze. "Miroku! I haven't had sex in six months! Six fucking months! Usually the most I could go without doing it is two weeks max!" Snatching his hands away from the other man's lapel, Inuyasha dragged an unsteady hand through his unruly mass of white hair, his deficiency in the intimacy area affecting him more than he was willing to admit. "Damnit, I'm doing this for her and all she does is take it for granted in thinking that I have been cheating on her."

Miroku disciplined his facial features so as not to show the shock that the subject of sex was affecting his friend to such an extent. He could sympathize for the other man though. If it had been him in the same position, he would surely would have been driven to insanity by now. Miroku inwardly shuddered at the thought of not having the simple pleasure. "Come on Inuyasha," he steered him to the central doors where the rowdy music could be heard pulsing behind and stopped right before entering.

"Fate can be a bitch sometimes," he began with an elegant gesture of the hand, a visage of self-importance gracing his features that had Inuyasha rolling his eyes, "but every so often it adds an interesting twist to one's situation, giving us a chance to atone for all the bad crap that we've committed in the past. In your case buddy, you've whored so many women and broken so many hearts, fate has seen that you've been a naughty boy and decides that no sex for half a year is your retribution. Now that you've suffered and have had some form of hell that the women you left in the dust have experienced, you will have a chance to enjoy yourself for once."

"Oi, where the hell are you getting at?" Inuyasha questioned warily, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Miroku smiled. "It is your birthday. You are officially twenty five years old. For one night only, we're going to forget about Kikyo and work and indulge ourselves with the company of good people and beautiful, half-naked women."

"If she finds out I came here-"

"I'll just say we kidnapped you and forced you to come to an exotic dance club for your birthday," Miroku smoothly interjected. "Now enjoy yourself. For all Kikyo knows, you're in your condo all alone sulking over the latest argument."

Inuyasha hesitated for a split second before shrugging and following the other man inside. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

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**AN**: So, what do you think about my latest fic? Review and let me know. - 


	2. Ember

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha, Beyonce's "Naughty Girl", or Brittney Spears' "Toxic".

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**AN**: Wow, the response to this story is amazing. Thank you so much guys for you feedback and thoughts on my knew fic, especially to**LewdaKris**, who gave me some interesting insight on the mind set of a stripper. Oh, and to answer one reviewer's question about if this story was going to demons and such, no. Everyone is human in this fic, including Inuyasha, who I decided would keep the silver hair and golden eyes since he's just so sexy with those features. ;) ::throws wild flowers and candy to reviewers:: Thanks again for all the reviews. Since I'm in college, updates are going to be a little slow. Just bear with me. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**:**R** (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful, exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist. Inu/Kag

**Chapter Two: **_**Ember**_

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The instant he stepped inside of the club, Inuyasha was immediately taken aback by the verve of the atmosphere that shrouded and the sheer enormity of the place. The entire nightclub was constructed in a fashion akin to an arena set in gladiator times. Stone pillars supporting the dome shaped arc of the ceiling circled the spherical shaped club, a torch with a single, burning flame in the middle of each column. In the center of it all was the dance floor, which was encircled by three different levels of floors that all held candlelit tables and booths for those who weren't into the dance scene. It was a perfect blend of both modern and ancient eras that only added to the dynamism of the nightclub.

Exotic strobe lights bathed the interior in various hues of color that were constantly rotating along the floors and ceiling and against the walls, causing Inuyasha's vision to become momentarily distorted by everything and took a few seconds to adjust. The boisterous atmosphere blared with deafening music, the walls vibrating in effect. The air was hot and heavy and reeked of lust ridden people on the dance floor, gyrating and grinding against each other to the beat.

Miroku motioned for Inuyasha to follow him since words were not necessary or audible with the ear splitting music pumping out of the ten foot amps. They stood at either side of the stage that was centered in the middle of the dance floor, black curtains drawn so that it was impossible to tell what was going on behind them. Inuyasha trailed after the part time monk; past a sizeable bar that was big enough to house every liquor known to man with a scantily clad bartender dressed in a bunny get up pouring a man Bacardi into a shot glass while he openly observed her half covered breasts unabashedly.

They weaved in and out of people until they came to a rather large table that had an excellent view of the club where his friends sat drinking and eating and having a jolly old time, oblivious to the fact that Miroku had returned with Inuyasha until Kouga stood and shouted his name, alerting everyone at the table of their arrival.

"Hey people, shit face has finally arrived!" He drunkenly raised his drink, which sloshed onto the table. "Happy fucking birthday!" He yelled, too intoxicated to notice that the music had died down moments ago and there was no real reason to shout any longer. "I'll go get you a drink!" Kouga staggered off toward the bar, stumbling occasionally into bystanders.

Inuyasha wrinkled his noise at the man in disgust. "Ayame, how the hell am I supposed to enjoy my birthday with your drunken idiot of a boyfriend is here making an ass out of himself and us?"

"You know Kouga," Ayame replied rolling her eyes, "loves his drinks to death. Now he's got poor Shippou involved in his world of liquor." She pointed to the opposite end of the table where the red headed youth lay unconscious face down on the table, his right hand clenching a glass of something that probably wasn't apple juice.

"I didn't know they lowered the legal drinking age to 19," Inuyasha observed wryly taking a seat beside Miroku.

"Somehow we found ourselves unable to turn down those big, adorable green eyes of his," Sango said, her own shifting around nervously as she pried the drink from his hand and placing it in front of her just in case anybody had any thoughts that he was underage and drinking.

"Tell me again why you all brought a little kid to a strip club?" Inuyasha inquired wryly, his gaze traveling across the recently abandoned dance floor where uniformed men were beginning to set up chairs in front and bring out a dispensable runway to align with the center of the stage for the show.

"I ain't no kid," Shippou mumbled picking up his head rather sluggishly from the table top, his manners clearly indicating the extent that the alcohol was effecting his motor skills and judgment. His head bobbed unsteadily as though it were floating on water before slamming back down on the table.

He was out for the count.

Miroku leaned over to whisper into Inuyasha's ear, just incase their friend was still conscious. "We figured he would pass out after a couple of drinks and would miss the show altogether, hence saving him from the indecent exposure of attractive half naked ouch!" He rubbed the side of his head where his girlfriend had just chucked a bowl of peanuts. "But they all pale in comparison to you, my delicate flower. You are the epitome of loveliness and beauty. Your eyes are like-"

"Save it houshi," Sango growled, gathering another bowl of peanuts in hand just in case she had reasonable cause to launch it at her hentai boyfriend once more. "The only reason I came here was because it was Inuyasha's birthday and so I could make sure that you keep your wandering hands and perverted ways to yourself. I don't understand why we had to come to a strip joint for his birthday."

"Sango dearest," Miroku pleaded reaching to take her hands with his but stopping when he saw the murder flashing in her brown depths, "this club is becoming the hottest spot in all of Tokyo and probably all of Japan. This place is harder to get into than a UN Security Council meeting. It's used as a dance club until 11:30 when the shows begin. And the girls who work here aren't really strippers, but amazingly talented dancers who just happen to be dressed in scanty attire. I've heard that the show they put on here could rival renowned dance companies."

"If you've seen one strip joint, you've seen them all," Inuyasha said stifling a yawn of boredom. "Can you just give me my presents so I can leave?" '_And return to my lonely condo since I was kicked out of my own damn house.'_

"He's only being a grouch because his fiancé is accusing him of sleeping around," Miroku carelessly informed the others at the table.

"Hey, I told you that in confidence!"

"Oh, it's ok Inu," Ayame cooed, sympathy shining brightly within her bright green orbs. "I'm sure it was merely miscommunication on her part. Kikyo will come to her senses sooner or later."

"Keh. Whatever." He folded his arms, his brows tugging downward in a scowl. "Presents please?"

Sango shook her head, a mischievous smile curving at her lips. "No gifts until the cake arrives and we sing happy birthday after the first show."

"Damnit." Frowning, he glanced at his Rolex. It was 11:29pm. "How long is this going to take?"

"Stop being such a cold fish Inuyasha." Lurching slightly, Kouga placed a glass of gods knew what in front of the impertinent man and unsteadily tottered over to his seat beside his girlfriend before plopping down. "Winner gets ten thousand yen. Cheers man!" Grinning, he lifted his glass in the air and waited for him to follow suit.

Sighing, Inuyasha lifted the glass into the air and brought it to his lips, waiting until Kouga closed his eyes and tipped his head back to let the liquid slide down his throat before hastily dumping out the contents under his seat and slamming the glass down on the table like he had drank the entire thing in a matter of mere seconds. _'Somebody can clean that up later.'_ "I beat you," he smirked wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Confusion distorted Kouga's features for a moment as he tried to fathom how the mutt face had drunk a cup's worth of vodka and tonic in less than ten seconds. Unfortunately, for him the effects of too much liquor in his system blurred his perception of things and made the obvious not so evident. Grumbling, Kouga accepted his loss and rummaged in his pockets for the money then threw a wad of yen across the table. "You got lucky dog breath."

Shrugging, Inuyasha pocketed the cash and hid a triumphant grin. He would be sure to bring a twelve pack of Corona the next time they had one of their gambling get-togethers. Wagering against an impaired Kouga always produced fruitful outcomes, well for him at least.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen."

Everyone's attention was diverted to the bald young man standing atop the stage with a microphone in hand.

Inuyasha turned up his nose. "Please tell me that that hideous abomination is not the owner of this place." A sharp and painful jab to his ribs from Sango shut him up, his glare going unnoticed.

Bristling, Inuyasha slouched in the chair and crossed his arms stubbornly. When would this night from hell end?

* * *

"Suki, would you get in place and stop wiggling your ass in front of my face," Momiji said distastefully at the twenty two year old woman who has peeking out from behind the curtain into the audience like some over eager schoolgirl.

Pouting, Suki subtly positioned the curtain back in its original place and glared at the other woman as she returned to her spot. "I was just scanning the crowd for the filthy rich bastards." She slid her hand across her buttocks and down her thigh sensually, a sly smile curving at her lips. "They get an extra little something, for a price, that is."

"Slut." Kagome smirked at the feline clad female.

"If the title comes with the bread, I'll take it as such, proudly."

"And the title suits you well," Momiji muttered under her breath.

The sudden dimming of the lights alerted everyone backstage that it was almost show time.

"Come on, baby," Suki whispered more so to herself than anyone else, vigorously rubbing her hands together in her customary psyching and good luck ritual she did before every show, "mama needs a new pair of shoes, this months rent, and a down payment on my new car."

Kagome watched from the sidelines as the thundering sound of music abruptly shattered the silence, the resounding echo of _Brittney Spears Toxic_ filling the air with her sultry voice and upbeat tempo, the volume of the music pitched so high she could feel it thrumming within the marrow of her bones. Her eyes strayed from the performance she had seen a hundred times, literally, to the audience, curious as to whom the said birthday boy, or man, was, though the blaring lights that were all focused on the stage made it extremely difficult to discern the faces of the crowd.

A flash of white amidst the ocean of silhouettes caught her attention. Squinting as far as her sight would allow, Kagome leaned out and tried to discern exactly what it was. _'That seriously can't be some guy's hair,_' she thought, a slight frown marring her features, unless that's some old man_. 'Great. That's just what I need. Now, I'll have toothless, debauched old guys to deal with.'_ With a heavy hearted sigh, Kagome backed away from the curtains and accidentally backed into somebody else.

"Oh, sorry about-"

"Damn little girl, watch where you're going." Mizuki snapped, her black eyes burning with abhorrence and obvious contempt.

"It was just an accident," Kagome shot back with narrowed eyes. Ever since she had become employed as an exotic dancer, or more importantly had become the object of Hiten's desires as Suki boldly put, some females couldn't accept that she was a good friend of the man who ignores their attempts of seduction and flirting or because she was a better dancer than any of the other girls. "What is with you Mizuki? If you're pissed because Hiten doesn't acknowledge your presence, take that up with him because I don't want to be caught up in all of your drama. I have more important things to worry about than you and your ego."

A fleeting expression of shock flitted across her face before twisting into anger, her grip tightening on the whip in her hand. "Listen here bitch; you don't know shit about me. I've made it clear since day one that I've wanted nothing to do with you, but have stomached your presence for the sake of my job since you're fucking my boss."

Instantaneous rage flared within Kagome. This chick was really beginning to grate on her nerves. "One, I wouldn't want to know anything about you, seeing as though your attitude can rival that of a foul boar. Two, there is nothing going on between Hiten and I, so you can take your preconceived notions about us and shove them where the sun don't shine. Got that Temptress?" She inwardly flinched at the sudden snap of the whip not two inches beside her.

The other woman took her black whip in both hands, her face flushed with undiluted ire as she twisted the leather whip with frightening strength. Kagome gulped nervously as Mizuki stepped up in front of her face so that their noses almost touched, so that she could practically feel the steam radiating from her form. "I fucking swear, you little bitch, that if I didn't need this job so bad, I would take this and strangle you to death."

Swallowing the fear that had arisen in her throat, Kagome met her gaze challengingly and stood her ground with false bravado. "You hate me so much that you would actually attempt to kill me?" she asked calmly, effectively masking the subtle hints of irritation in her voice, since that was likely to set the psycho chick off.

"Attempt?" Mizuki let out harsh bark of laughter that conveyed no joviality whatsoever. "Who said anything about attempted murder?" Her bottomless pits of blackness darkened even more, making the threat anything but empty.

Try as she might, there was no stopping the trepidation that bloomed and tightened in her chest. Gods, what she wouldn't give for a can of mace right now, or maybe some self defense lessons. '_Note to self: Sign up for jui jitsu lessons tomorrow.'_

"What's going on here?"

Kagome was so relieved; she could have kissed Suki right then and there. "Mizuki here was just giving me some words of encouragement. Right?" She smiled with sickening sweet innocence to the stiff female that stood before her.

A tic began to spasm erratically in Mizuki's jaw as she restrained herself and slowly backed away, her fierce gaze never leaving Kagome's. "Oh this isn't over girlie. You just wait, you'll learn your lesson soon enough. And next time you won't have your little posse around to stop me."

Suki growled and stepped in front of Kagome to defend the girl who was like a little sister to her. "You'd better step off whore, before you catch my fist down your throat. I don't know who you think you are, walking around like you're the shit. Well I've got information for you: you're nothing. Hiten is never going to notice you. You're never going to become a better dancer than Kagome." The small female took an intimidating step towards the fidgeting woman in the leather getup. "And if I ever hear about you threatening her or any other female here, I am personally going to beat you black and blue and leave the tread marks of my stilettos permanently indented on your ugly face. Got that?"

Mizuki, even being nearly a foot taller than the other woman, was clearly not a match for this formidable opponent. Mumbling something incoherent, she took her leave, throwing one last glare to Kagome, before striding off for the stage since she was up.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Kagome grinned at her friend. "Thanks Suki. I owe you big time."

She waved her off. "Don't worry about her. She's a natural born bitch with an innate desire to attack those who are prettier, classier, and more talented than she, which is basically most of all the females, save for those she's already killed off."

"Geez, you make her sound like some kind of wild beast," Momiji smirked while counting her tips.

"That's what she is. Although some could argue that she is doubtlessly on a lower level than even the lowliest of beasts," Suki commented, evenly pulling out the cash from various parts of her outfit.

"So, how's the crowd?" Kagome questioned changing the subject.

"Very, very nice," Momiji answered grinning and brandishing her rolls of money in front of the girls face.

"Except, for that fucking asshole of a birthday boy," Suki grumbled, her lips curling in a snarl. "He didn't even tip me, at all. Even after I pulled every fancy move I had. Cheap bastard."

Her company laughed at her misfortune. "I'm so glad I worked on the dark haired guys, especially the one with short hair, though his girlfriend didn't look very happy about it."

"I knew I shouldn't have taken him. He was sexy, but his face was all scrunched up like he didn't want to be there. I thought I could easily change his mind," Suki complained, crossing her arms.

"I guess you thought wrong," Kagome teased.

Suki glared at her. "I bet you can't do any better. The guy is like a stone wall: unmoving and impenetrable."

"So what does he look like?" Kagome asked out of curiosity.

"Why? You plan on hooking up with him instead of Hiten?" Momiji inquired with a sly smile.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not hooking up with anybody. In fact, that's the last thing on my mind. I have more important things to concentrate on than guys, like my schoolwork and how I'm going to help pay for my mother's chemotherapy treatments and the mortgage."

"Kagome," Suki started, her eyes all seriousness, "listen to me when I say this: If you can secure Hiten or that stubborn ass out there, you won't have to worry about paying for any of that because you'll have a man for all of that."

She opened her mouth to retort but was silenced with a hand. "For once, stop being so obstinate and forget your pride. You can't survive in this world being naive. Take my advice and go for one of these guys. You have the looks and the smarts, so use them to your advantage and go out with the bastards."

Kagome sighed. "I completely understand where you're coming from, but I wouldn't feel comfortable dating or marrying a guy because of his money." Throwing her hose over her shoulder, she clasped her hands together and looked toward the Heavens, her blue eyes becoming distant and shiny with mock hope. "When I meet my soul mate, it will be love at first sight. He will have beautiful, long tresses, a body to die for, and the face of an angel. He will be head over heels in love with me and will never betray my love. We will live happily ever after and have four adorable kids in his house on the countryside."

Both females snickered at her heartwarming soliloquy.

"I'd love to stay and chat ladies, but I've really got to go make this money," Kagome said upon hearing the conversion of one song into the next, signifying the end of the second groups performance, and the beginning of her solo.

"Knock em dead, girl," Momiji winked.

"And remember my proposition! Money, don't grow on trees," Suki called after her.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she got into position, a smirk teasing the corners of her mouth. Sometimes, her friends resolve to see her hooked up with some rich snob was downright scary. Maybe, if she practiced what she preached and stopped worrying her half to death about it, she would become heiress to a multi million dollar fortune. The dimming of the lights served as a cue that her time was near. Wiping the smirk off of her face, Kagome sobered up and mentally prepared herself to shut out everything except her music, which had already begun playing in the background.

It was time.

* * *

For some indefinite reason, Inuyasha was unable to fully enjoy himself, even in the midst of his best friends and half naked women shaking their asses in front of his face. But this didn't come as a surprise to him. He was getting married in a month to a woman whose beauty and intelligence surpassed every female in Tokyo. He shouldn't be at a strip joint ogling the goodies of these females; however voluptuous and mouth watering they were, but those of his fiancé. The thought did little to reduce the guilt steadily building within him for betraying her trust.

His mental reverie was momentarily disrupted, when the flashing lights that had been bouncing off of the walls were suddenly turned off, cloaking the entire club in a blanket of darkness. Howls and hoots erupted from different sects of the audience, the men all knowing what was to come. His interest mildly piqued at what the fuss was all about, Inuyasha turned his head toward the stage.

"I've heard that this last routine is the show stopper," he heard Miroku yell over top of the music that had just begun to play, with barely contained enthusiasm beside him. Even with the thick blackness of the room, Inuyasha could see that the man was practically bouncing up and down in his seat. "Her name is Ember and she does a solo performance and has the body of a goddess with long, slender legs and luscious curves that I would love to caress-no I mean others would-"

Inuyasha winced as his friends chair was harshly yanked backwards; resulting in him lying sprawled in unceremoniously in a twisted position that looked none too comfortable.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you throw this party at a strip club, considering your lecherous mind," Sango hissed loudly on the other side of the fallen monk.

_I'm feelin sexy_

_I wanna hear you say my name boy_

_If you can reach me_

Smirking, Inuyasha opened his mouth to add on to her remark about his lechery, but the biting retort that had been dancing on the edge of his tongue, slipped to the back of his throat and became wedged within his esophagus as the thick, black curtain parted, leaving a firefighter clad woman stretching on the floor of the stage. Soft, red rays of florescent light focused on the beauty before the audience as she languidly rose from the horizontal position with the tempo of the music.

_You can feel my burning flame_

Inuyasha took in a sharp breath as her face into view, his golden eyes widening slightly. '_No wonder Miroku was so excited to see this last routine_,' he thought, already feeling his blood ignite into flames as her body arched upward to the rhythm and came skillfully to her feet. His jaw went slack as he got a glimpse of her face.

_I'm feelin kind of n-a-s-t-y  
I might just take you home with me  
Baby the minute I feel your energy  
Your vibe's just taken over me  
Start feelin so crazy babe  
I feel the funk coming over me  
I don't know what's gotten into me  
The rhythm's got me feelin so crazy babe _

A seductive grin uplifted the corners of her lips, a teasing glint flashing playfully in her smoky, blue eyes. Her dark mass of wavy tresses flew freely around her lithe form as her body swayed seductively to the sultry pulse of the music. Flinging the fireman's hat to the side, she strutted confidently to the left side of the stage, a taunting yet strangely mesmerizing smile making her seem all the more stunning.

Inuyasha tried to stare at something else other than her attractive facial features or the smooth planes of her toned stomach or fullness of her breasts, but his eyes refused to budge and remained glued to the dancer named Ember, who had somehow entranced him with her beauty and graceful movements.

_Tonight I'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
We're gonna turn this party out  
I know you want my body  
Tonight I'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
I see you look me up and down  
And I came to party_

His mouth went dry when she unraveled the hose that had been wrapped around her torso, like red stripes on a candy cane and swung it around one of the poles on the left side of the stage. Inuyasha nearly fell back in his chair when she began grinding suggestively against the pole in a manner that had every man in the audience standing to their feet with loud, evocative catcalls and started tossing their money like crazy.

_You're so sexy, tonight I am all yours boy  
The way your body moves across the floor  
You got me feelin n-a-s-t-y  
I might just take you home with me_

An animalistic growl ripped through his chest when his view of her was cut off, as people stood to see what was going on in the left hand side if the stage. Inuyasha was ready to get up and start throwing people away from the stage so he could see what she was doing, when he felt the pressure of a hand grip his forearm. Whipping his head around, he turned to glare at Miroku. "What?!"

A knowing grin lit up the monks features. "Have patience my friend. Your time will come soon enough."

Inuyasha felt his face heat up in embarrassment and guilt at his actions. Here he was just about ready to kill somebody for getting in the way of some stripper, when he was about to get married in less than a month. Wincing as the volume of cheering increased and restraining himself from getting up to see what was going on, Inuyasha clenched his jaw and sat stiffly in the chair. He needed to control himself; he would control himself. After all, there was nobody more perfect or more attractive than his Kikyo. Unfortunately, the mental assurance did nothing to quell the urgency within him to see the raven haired beauty. Besides, it was about time he had a little fun. It wasn't like he was going to screw or fall in love with some random chick at a strip club.

* * *

'_Sink to floor in split. Smile seductively at hormone raging men. Lay back. Straighten legs in air. Bring them back down. Arch upward. Take off jacket. Throw into audience. Wink suggestively and slowly stand to feet._' Even though she knew her routine in and out, she always liked to repeat it like a mantra in her mind, to stay focused and not get deviated from her performance by the crude shouts of the crowd.

Blowing a kiss to the audience, Kagome sauntered over to the center of the stage that let out to the runway, where, inevitably, would lead her to the star attraction for the night. Briefly remember what Suki had said about the birthday man, being gorgeous, but a bit of a tight wad, made her grin inwardly. There was nothing she liked more than a challenge, especially a cute challenge.

With her mind made up and her provocative smile in place, Kagome boldly sashayed out onto the runway and almost faltered when a drunken maniacal fan of hers, flung himself onto the runway in a desperate attempt to get her attention, momentarily obscuring her view of her intended target. Inwardly laughing as his red haired woman tried to yank him back to his seat, she took the time to pause during her routine to bend down and drop a kiss onto his cheek.

The man with icy blue eyes blinked for a moment, as if trying to process what had just happened through the haze of intoxication. Whooping loudly, when it finally sunk in that the star of the show had bestowed him with a kiss, he gave her a lip splitting grin and tossed her a wad of cash which she expertly caught and tucked into her brassier. With a wink, she glided easily back to her routine, which was now coming to an end.

_Baby the minute I feel your energy  
The vibe's just taken over me  
Start feelin so crazy babe  
I feel the funk coming over me  
I don't know what's gotten into me  
The rhythm's got me feelin so crazy babe_

'_Spin. Somersault into another split. Tumble to edge of runway and come face to face with target and-.'_ All coherent thought ceased, as she locked gazes with him. Honey coated eyes that held flecks of amber stared back at her heatedly from underneath his white bangs, their intensity and animalistic hunger stirring something deep within her being. The ions in the air suddenly became charged as they gazed into one another's eyes, the tension before them virtually cackling with electricity.

Dimly hearing the music still playing in the background, Kagome forcefully brought her focus back to what she was supposed to be doing, albeit the desire to reach out and touch a strand of his silky white hair, that was quickly intensifying with the passing of each second.

_Tonight I'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
We're gonna turn this party out  
I know you want my body  
Tonight I'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
I see you look me up and down  
And I came to party_

Even though her heart was pounding a mile a minute beneath her ribcage, Kagome went through the rest of her movements, which were even more difficult to perform due to a sudden case of self consciousness that no amount of concentration could subdue. She felt his eyes on her as she did intricate twists and turns and spins in front of his face.

_I love to love you baby  
I love to love you baby  
I love to love you baby  
_

Growing angry at her lack of control over her body, which didn't obey her command to stop blushing furiously under his penetrating gaze, Kagome threw herself single-mindedly into the last few moves of her routine to rid her mind of his striking features and the shape of full lips and the burning passion smoldering in his molten pools of liquid gold. She could smell the musky scent of his cologne that clung to the air around him, the smell invading her nostrils and giving her a heady sort of feeling to the point where she found herself almost giddy with delight, much to her annoyance.

_Tonight I'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
We're gonna turn this party out  
I know you want my body  
Tonight I'll be your naughty girl  
I'm callin all my girls  
I see you look me up and down  
And I came to party_

Unfortunately, her last move ended up with her being inches away from his face, a place where she really didn't need to be in her current state of mind. Panting slightly from the exertion, Kagome kept her current position until the lights dimmed and the music finally died away. Breathing an inaudible sigh of relief, she moved to get up when his hand shot out and grasped her wrist before she could get up from her crouched position.

Even with the pitch blackness blanketing the club in a cloak of darkness, Kagome could see his golden eyes shining back at her with a predatory glint that sent tremors racing down her spine. He leaned in closer to her so that his nose brushed against hers tenderly, his eyes never leaving hers. She shivered involuntarily, as his warm breath lightly caressed her face.

"Here. You earned this," he murmured softly into her ear as he tucked a roll of bills into the side of her low rise thong, his warm fingers lingering longer than necessary as they nimbly skimmed the smooth planes of her hip, all the way to her stomach and grinned when her muscles jumped and trembled under his touch.

The feelings his fingers were evoking within her snapped a flushed Kagome out of her lapse of sanity just as the lights came back on. Abruptly standing to her feet, she tore her gaze from his amused golden eyes and plastered a fake smile on her face for her audience as they applauded and whistled. Even as she made her way back upstage, collecting her little bundles of yen that her clients had so gratefully thrown at her and blowing kisses to her fans, she could still feel the strange mans heated stare on her, whether by instinct or women's intuition.

"Give it up for Ember!" Maten yelled into the microphone, while stepping back onto the stage to stand beside her. "Isn't she great? Regrettably, there wont be an encore presentation following."

Kagome resisted the urge to jump up and down in joy. As much as she loved to dance, she would much rather be curled up in her bed beneath her warm covers.

"Fortunately for that are VIP, you will be able to get up close and personal with this beautiful gem and many others at the after party that will be held in the back."

Kagome's high spirits sank. '_So much for going home early._ _No doubt the after party will be held in honor of that guy's birthday.'_ Her eyes darted briefly to end of the runway where the white haired man sat talking with his friend beside him, and, as if sensing her gaze, turned his head toward her, his eyes instantly connecting with on her own. Heat blossomed in her cheeks and made an outbreak of butterflies within her stomach as she caught the flicker of mischief and keen interest that was written so boldly on his face, further inciting her anger at both him and herself for responding to his cheap attempts at flirting.

Without so much as another word to Maten or anybody else for that matter, Kagome turned on her heels and marched backstage. '_Who does that guy think he is?'_ She thought gritting her teeth in annoyance, her grip tightening on the cash in her hands. '_Cocky bastard thinks he can get a rise out of me just because I work at a strip club. The nerve of him, grabbing my wrist and touching me like that. Doesn't he know that it's against company policy to touch any of the dancers?'_

Growling, she walked back to the dressing room where Suki and Momiji had already changed back into their street clothes. Disappointment overshadowed the anger that had been instigated by a certain someone was quickly forgotten. "You guys are leaving now?" Kagome asked not bothering to conceal the sad note in her tone.

Momiji bestowed her with a sympathetic look. "Oh, Kagome, I would stay, really I would, but I really hate paying extra charges to the babysitter. Besides this is my early night, my only one."

"Don't worry Kag, I'm sure that it wont be so bad," Suki said with a impish grin as she slid her purse strap over her shoulder. "Just put up with those ignorant assholes for another hour or so and then you can go home. Oh, and try not to focus on the time, it'll make things go by slower. Believe me, I speak from experience."

"But-"

"Oh cheer up, hon." Momiji kissed her on both cheeks before exiting the room. "Everything will be fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"And if anybody gives you any shit, you call me and I'll come back down here in a flash and teach them a lesson they'll never forget," Suki winked and followed the other woman out. "Oh, and Hiten told me to tell you that you'll be serving the birthday guy his cake. Ciao, darling."

Kagome plopped down in her chair and allowed her forehead to fall onto the vanity dresser with a solid thump. It was going to be a long night.


	3. Pursuit

**Disclaimer**: Haven't we gone over this already? I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

**AN**: Hey guys. I know, I know, it has been a couple of months since my last update. Writer's block was partially to blame, as well as partying, studying, and having surgery. I won't bore you to death with the details. Thanks for being patient with me and my lack of updates. For those that are waiting for a Til Death Do Us Part update, hehe, that won't be up until around Christmas time. Big thanks to _**Dawn Sweetie**_ for editing my chapter and being a big help. Much love to ya and all of my reviewers out there! You guys are the best! Special thanks to _**Miyuki-Chan5**_ for correcting my misuse of Japanese yen, which will be fixed when I get a chance. Now, on with the show. Enjoy.

**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**:**R** (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist. Inu/Kag

**Chapter Three: **_**Pursuit**_

* * *

**  
**

'_Ember.'_

Inuyasha stared at the curtains where she had just disappeared through, his pulse racing wildly in his veins from her erotic performance. The enticing smell of wild strawberries dipped in vanilla still lingered heavily in the air, wrapping around his senses and fogging his brain with sweet nothingness. He could still picture the sexy prowess in his mind: the curves of her body, the cascade of midnight waves that spilled gracefully over her shoulders, the taunting, yet coy smile that lit up her entire face, making her seem all the more stunning. But the feature that stuck with him the most were her eyes; the smoky blue-gray eyes that spoke of fire and mystery and mischief, which called to his soul and beckoned to his heart.

He blinked and shook his head at the sudden direction of his thoughts, a solid indicator that his playboy instincts had been tripped, something that had all but disappeared right after he met Kikyo. He had wanted no other after her. So why was all of this happening now? _'What the hell am I thinking? I really need to get out of here before I end up doing something I'll regret.'_

'_Stop lying to yourself,_' a voice echoed mockingly within his head, _'__Y__ou know enigmas such as this vixen are just what you're into.'_

'_I'm not into anyone but Kikyo,_' Inuyasha scowled, rationalizing with himself. _'My womanizing days are over __with__.'_

'_That's not what Kikyo thinks_,' the voice chuckled darkly. '_So_ s_ince she already believes that you're out seducing women, why don't you indulge yourself already__ It's not like you're doing anything wrong. You haven't exchanged you wedding vows yet. And it has been a long time since __you last__ took a woman_.'

Inuyasha could already feel his heart slamming excitedly into his ribs with the familiar anticipation that always accompanied his pleasure-filled excursions. Just thinking about running his fingers along her soft skin and burying his nose within her mass of wavy locks was enough to set his blood afire. Inuyasha mentally slapped himself, suppressing, with a good deal of effort, the quickly arising emotions and feelings that he had no right to be harboring. _'Fuck. Something told me it would be a bad idea to come here. I knew I should've gone on and went to my condo.'_

A hand on his shoulder saved him from further thoughts on the subject that was tearing his conscious apart. He arched a silver eyebrow at the lengthy span of the monk's grin. "Wasn't that great?" Miroku gushed excitedly, his mauve colored eyes glazed over with admiration. "No, that was better than great. That was simply magnificent. I've never seen anyone with such grace, such fluidity, like that in my life. And did you see those legs? I've never seen such-"

Inuyasha flinched as Sango unleashed her fury, in the form of a fist, to the side of her boyfriend's face, the impact of her sharp jab driving him out of his chair and onto the floor. "Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn," he muttered.

"I don't know why I put up with your lecherousness!" Sango hissed, pinning him with an arctic glare that could have iced over even the pits of hell before swiftly, albeit stiffly, walking away without a second glance toward her fallen boyfriend.

"What did I do?" Miroku questioned in complete confusion from his flattened position, wincing at the painful throb that pulsated from the left side of his temple where she had left her mark.

"I guess I'm not the only one not getting any tonight," Inuyasha commented wryly, holding out his hand to help the monk to his feet.

Miroku hung his head in defeat as the amber-eyed man pulled him up, the remark clearly hurting him more to the heart than the brutal punishment. "Sometimes not even I understand what goes on in the mind of my dearest beloved," he said with a heavy hearted sigh to convey his frustrations. "All I did was comment on the voluptuous features of an amazing dancer."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, you're truly dumber than you look monk. Besides, the wench wasn't that sexy," he lied through his teeth, more so for the benefit of his sanity than anything else.

Miroku paused to give him a look illustrating the absolute ludicrousness of the statement for a moment before letting his lips curl up in a knowing smile. "You have the hots for her, don't you?"

"Keh. Not fucking likely. If you hadn't noticed already, I have a woman who I'm planning to marry in a matter of weeks." He scowled at the mischievous sparkle in his friend's eyes. "What?"

Knowing that confronting his friend's inner desires would only result in additional bashings across his already battered head, Miroku settled for just shaking his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Come. Let us depart to the afterparty. I'm sure that I will be able to coax Sango out of her mood with the assistance of sultry music and raunchy dance moves coupled with whispers of my desires in her ear."

"I'm glad you have all of this all figured out in that dirty mind of yours," Inuyasha retorted in a mild tone, following him as he weaved in and out of the throng of hot bodies crowding the stage, ardently demanding an encore presentation of Ember's act. Wrinkling his nose in disgust at the liquor induced fools that engulfed the dance floor with their stupidity and stench, Inuyasha sighed in relief when they parted from the intoxicated mass and made their way to the back of the club. He couldn't believe he had actually been one of those fools back in his earlier years of adulthood.

"Where is this room, anyway?" Inuyasha asked warily as they entered a dark hallway, the only source of lighting in the dimness of the corridor being small, primordial torches evenly spaced out along the side of the walls, each casting a flame as red as fresh blood that flickered dimly against the shadows.

"We're almost there." Miroku threw a sly smile over his shoulder. "My, aren't we in a hurry. Might this quite possibly have something to do with a certain dancer who will be attending?"

"For the last time, no!" he snapped back, grateful for the muted lighting that hid the red staining his cheeks.

'_What the hell?_' He ground his teeth together. '_I haven't fucking blushed since kindergarten. I haven't known the wench for five minutes and she's already invoking these feelings in me_.' An unsolicited rush of excitement tore through him as they neared a guarded door.

Quickly squelching the feeling, Inuyasha forced thoughts of her out of his head, and instead concentrated on Kikyo and how much he loved her despite her biased misconceptions about his whereabouts and activities. This was the woman he planned on living out the rest of his life with. Did he really want to jeopardize his future by bending to the will of barely constrained desires that had just happened to be evoked by some random stripper, however beautiful she might be?

Seeing the indecisiveness that played on the other man's face, Miroku suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. "Inuyasha," he began, his face set in dead seriousness, "if you don't feel comfortable doing this, just say so and we can finish out the rest of your party at my place."

"Don't be stupid. I've waited long enough for my gifts," Inuyasha said brushing past him and nodded to the guard, who grunted in acknowledgement and moved aside so they could enter. '_She is just a trial to test whether I will remain true to Kikyo,_' he told himself, mentally hardening his resolve while keeping his outward façade friendly, well, as friendly as he ever got, as he greeted coworkers and acquaintances who weren't intoxicated to the point of incoherency.

'_Besides, who knows what shit she's picked up from sleeping around like the tramp that she is_,' he mused with a sardonic twist of the lips, the damper his predicament had put him in gradually lifting with the mental reassurance.

* * *

Kagome gritted her teeth in both expectancy and annoyance as she and other dancers approached the door that led the VIP room, her grip on the platter of cake in her hands tightening unconsciously. Unnecessary drama was the last thing that she needed in her life right now. It was bad enough she had Mizuki biting at her heels every time she turned around. The woman would definitely get an A for persistence. '_Thank God she's not working the afterparty with tonight. I'm really not in the mood to put up with her bullshit.' _

She would be so happy when her shift ended and she could home to her nice, warm bed. All she had to do was put up with thirty more minutes of drunk and semi-drunk characters and their foolish antics, which for the most part wouldn't be troublesome since the bouncers would step in if things got out of hand. The real problem was a certain silver haired Adonis who looked as though he thought he was God's gift to women.

Her heartbeat increased in tempo as she remembered the way he had looked at her, his amber eyes, alit with a smoldering fire that spoke of unbridled passion and a yearning that had stirred feelings that had resided long dormant within her. He'd even had the nerve to put his hands on her. And what pissed her off even more was that she still felt the heat from his fingers on her hip where they had lingered, the nerves beneath the skin still tingling.

"Kagome, you ok?"

Blinking at the sound of her name, Kagome snapped out of her stupor and refocused her sights on the girl in front of her donning a concerned expression on her face. "Yeah, Naomi?"

"Are you ok? You look a little pale," she said, her forehead creased with worry lines.

Smiling at the other woman, she shook her head. "I'm just can't wait until I clock out."

Naomi chuckled. "Aren't we all? Well, as long as you're ok. Hiten would be furious if he found his favorite dancer passed out from too much exertion. See you at the party." She shot her another grin before prancing ahead of her with the rest of the women.

"Favorite?" Kagome frowned. Why did everybody think that just because she was friends with Hiten that he favored her over everyone else? No wonder only a select few of the women here liked her.

"All right, ladies," the bouncer at the door said, his bored tone the result of repeating the same phrase every night. "You know the deal. If there is any kind of unwanted physical contact, signal for one of the guards and they'll handle the situation appropriately."

'_This isn't any different than any other night_,' she reassured her hammering heart as they filed into the room one by one, herself being last since she carried the cake, which meant inevitably that she would have to give the birthday boy the customary kiss on the cheek. Her face burned in mortification at the notion. '_How could I have forgotten about the kiss? And why am I making such a big deal over it__ I've done it to a lot of guys who were even more obnoxious and uglier than this guy. So why am I so nervous?'_

"You ok, Ember?" the bouncer asked before she entered, his hard brown eyes taking in her flushed countenance through his dark shades, with the slightest fragment of worry tingeing the defining edges of his frown.

"I'm good," Kagome assured him, plastering on a smile and stepping through the threshold of the room.

The VIP room, dubbed the Red Room for its color scheme and decorum, was by far the plushest and most luxuriant room in the entire club, save for Hiten's office which was above all, as it should be. The sitting area was decked out in velvet cushioned seats imported from Europe, silken curtains were drawn over the large multi-pained windows handcrafted by an Italian artisan, crystal chandeliers hung overhead, their multiple dimensions creating a dappled colored effect splaying on the wine-red walls.

On the other side of the room was a small, polished dance floor and stage where the DJ stood playing low music through the diminutive amplifiers on either side of his station, his head bent low in concentration. It was an ideal setting for a small, private party among the social elites with all of the exquisiteness and money that went into everything.

An ironic smile tugged at Kagome's lips. '_Rich people. They're all the same. Full of shit and don't care about anyone else other than themselves. _'

"Make way everybody. The cake is here."

Cursing the random person that just had to open their mouth, Kagome repressed the blush that threatened to engulf her face in flames when all eyes turned to her and forced her smile back into place as the dancers made a path for her that lead to the table where he sat. Her mouth went dry when as his piercing, gold eyes connected with her own, an instant spark of recognition flickering within them before they iced over with a coldness that sent a shiver crawling down her spine.

Schooling her features so they wouldn't betray the surprise and alarm that was sent rocketing through her at the abhorrence directed toward, Kagome composed herself and started down the makeshift path to his table. She focused on the flames dancing atop the candles as a distraction.

'_Why does it look as though he hates me? Just a few minutes ago he was flirting with me. Did I do something wrong? Or am I imagining things?_' Hesitant at first, she lifted her gaze and again was subject to a hard, frosted glare, the amber eyes that once greeted her with a burning inner fire that spoke of unspoken desires were now cold as an artic winter.

Unconsciously shuddering at the aloof display of loathing shining brightly back at her out of golden eyes, she trained her own on the cake instead, only looking up to meet his gaze as she placed it in front of him. '_Wait, why am I lowering my head like I'm ashamed of what I am? If anything, I should be the one glaring at him since he is the one who wants to rip my clothes off one minute and give me the cold shoulder the next.' _Indignant anger flared within her, a sense of self worth mixed fueling the urge to kick the crap out of the guy.

Vaguely hearing people singing happy birthday in the background and seeing the lights dim, she raised her gaze to meet unfriendly orbs peering back at her through silver bangs. Kagome glared hard back at him with all the intensity she could summon, ignoring the insistent nudge from one of her coworkers at her blatant show of disrespect to the VIP and almost smirked in triumph when a glint of surprise flitted across his face.

Figuring this would be as good a time as any to bestow him with the kiss, Kagome reluctantly leaned in to plant a peck on his cheek, one that would go quickly so she could get it over with. What she hadn't anticipated was for him to tilt his head towards her at the last minute, the inclination subsequently followed by a jolt of electricity as their lips made contact. Shock registered in her brain before anything else, that and the fact that she'd never imagined that one so cold as him would have lips that felt so soft, so warm and blissful, so….wrong.

She broke away quickly, her eyes a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. '_What the hell just happened?_' Her gaze sought out the man before her for confirmation that what just transpired was not just some lapse in her sanity.

Her heart sank when she saw the accusing glint in his eyes and the condescending sneer that curled at the corner of his mouth. "I didn't know this place had whores in employ here," he snickered in a low tone so that only she could hear.

Coldness spilled over her soul. Choking back the tears she refused to show to the cold hearted fiend in front of her, Kagome gritted her teeth against the impulse to run out of the room and away from the imbecile of a man that insulted her in the worst kind of way.

Upon finishing the last note of the song, the floor lights surrounding the dance floor suddenly sparked to life, bathing the polished wood in a soft glow that beckoned to all, which was soon followed by the thunderous music that emanated from the amplifiers. Taking their cue, the dancers took hold of the nearest male and persuaded them with perfected suggestive gestures and flirty comments to accompany them to the dance floor.

Kagome yelped when she was abruptly propelled back by a flock of dancers whom all wanted to dance with the golden-eyed god. Squelching the jealousy that flared within her at the sight of women practically throwing themselves at him, Kagome let out a growl of pent up irritation before turning on her heels and exiting through the door. _'I am not staying here any longer. Hiten will get over me leaving a little earlier than normal__ considering I was verbally assaulted by that asshole back there._'

Marching out of the room without so much as a word to anyone else, Kagome made her way to the back dressing room. '_Of all the stupid, moronic imbeciles I've met in my life, he definitely takes the cake_.'

It took her no time flat to reach her destination, and took even less time to get out of her skimpy getup and into the sweats she came in wearing. In too bad a mood to remember to remove her makeup, she threw all of her belongings into her duffel bag and checked to make sure she had everything. Hooking her bag strap over one shoulder, Kagome picked up keys from the vanity table and exited the room. _'I will be so glad when I go home and am able to put this horrible day behind me_,' she thought with a sigh, some the anger she had been feeling beginning to ebb away at the notion of climbing into bed and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

With this in mind, she quickly departed by way of the side exit so she wouldn't run into anybody who would question why she was leaving so early or wasn't clocking out. Hiten would surely understand her plight. He always did. A slight smile curved on her lips. What would she do without her wonderful boss and friend? More importantly, where would she be without him? Why couldn't more men be like him?

'_Like that jerk off back there_,' she mused wryly. '_What woman in her right mind would want to date someone as arrogant and indecisive as him? One minute he's flirting, the next he's hurling insults in my face and calling me a whore. So what__ if__ he's got a smile to die for. And hair I'd kill for. And the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen in my life.'_

Pink flushed her cheeks at the way he had looked at her during the performance, as if she was the only person that mattered in the world. "I bet he's used that look to lure unsuspecting women into his bed," she scoffed lightly, readjusting the strap on her shoulder.

"I know an unsuspecting woman I'd like to lure into my bed or any other place that's suitable for what I want to do to you," a deep voiced man said behind her, his footsteps echoing her own.

Fear speared her heart. Mentally berating herself for not paying attention to her surroundings, Kagome ignored the idiot behind her and kept walking en route for home. She had dealt with many of the common scum lurking around the city whenever she walked home from work. An unavoidable scenario since she lacked both adequate driving skills and a car. It wasn't so bad when she had Suki or Mizuki to accompany her to her street.

Tonight was going to be one of those nights.

"Don't you know it's rude to ignore somebody when they're talking to you?" he questioned her, his gait quickening.

Kagome, in reaction, also picked up the pace, her eyes darting up the street for anybody who could get this guy off of her back. Out of all times, why did tonight have to be the night where there was no sign of life anywhere? Any other time, the city would be crawling with people ready to get their party on. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that it was a Thursday night. A wave of relief washed away the onslaught of overpowering fear as she spotted two men deep in conversation not fifteen yards ahead of her. "Excuse me!" she yelled, flailing her arms in the air to get their attention just in case the guy behind her tried anything funny.

The two men glanced up at the plea that broke the silent monotony of the early morning. "Something wrong, miss?" the taller of the two spoke up first, his face obscured by shadows that was created by the light of streetlamp shining just behind them.

She turned around and pointed to the still approaching figure of her stalker walking almost leisurely up the sidewalk toward her. "That guy keeps harassing me and I think he might be a rapist."

"Well, what do you want us to do about it?" the other guy commented, underlying tones of satisfaction and enjoyment apparent in his voice.

Kagome froze, the air in her lungs dissipating completely.

"You know, a woman as pretty as yourself shouldn't wander the streets by herself at night," the taller man said, taking a step toward her. "You never know what kinds of people are out here lurking in the shadows, just waiting for someone like you to show up."

'_Oh God_.' She backed up as her stalker nodded to the other two men before turning to her, the nakedness of his lust evident in his hooded gaze. '_They're in this together._'

* * *

"Get the fuck off of me!" Inuyasha snapped and pushed the stripper from his lap.

"What the hell is your problem?" she retorted acidly as she rose from her position on the floor where he had so generously dumped her.

"You are. Where did Ember go?" he demanded harshly, his eyes scanning the crowd but finding neither hide nor hair of the fiery temptress that captured his attention from the beginning. And whom he had been a total ass to.

Her lips drew into a tight line. "It seems as though that little slut got to you as well. Why am I not surprised?"

His hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist so fast she was momentarily knocked off balance and would've fallen for the second time that night to the ground if it hadn't been for his vice-like grip holding her in place. Letting out a sharp gasp of pain, she turned her livid gaze to him to curse him out. Then she saw his eyes. The infinite amount of ire churning in his golden depths was enough to make her heart quiver in alarm, all of her boldness abandoning her.

With an animalistic growl, Inuyasha tightened his grip on her wrist, ready to break it if need be, and resisted the urge to smirk at the utter terror shining in her brown orbs. "If I ever hear you call her by that name again, I will personally make sure you are never hired in this city, no all of Japan, ever again. Is this understood?"

She nodded her head vigorously for lack of anything better to say, gulping a lungful of air when he released her wrist and walked away, her hands shaking from the encounter.

'_Where the hell did she run off to so quick?_' he thought, his mounting frustration irking him to no end.

"Is something wrong, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha cast a frown in the direction of the monk, his irritation spoking at the goofy grin on his face, which was doubtlessly due to the woman that sat on his lap, planting little kisses along his neckline, stopping to blush once realizing they had an audience. "I'm going out for some fresh air. I'll be back in a minute."

Shrugging, Miroku turned back to his girlfriend. "Don't get lost. You still have to open your presents and eat cake."

Rolling his eyes at the infatuated couple, Inuyasha walked toward the nearest exit and bypassed the bouncer standing erect at the door, his thoughts for the zillionth time that night turning to the smoky eyed goddess. It was strange, that out of all of the beautiful women that surrounded him, each possessing a certain hint of experience and lust in their eyes that he used to appreciate in his wild years, he had chosen the one woman who, through all the outer sex appeal, exuded an aura of innocence and purity, which made him feel even guiltier for calling her a whore.

He inwardly winced, recalling how cruel he had been to her while she had only been trying to do her job. He never meant to take it as far as to demean her with derisive name calling. The cold shoulder had been a means as to distance him from her, to discourage any adulterous feelings for her and it had worked up until the kiss. The feeling of her soft lips upon his had set a fire within him and it had taken all of his will power and then some for him not to act on an urges he would undoubtedly regret in the morning. It had taken an inconceivable amount of self-control to bury his baser instincts and maintain his pretense of an asshole.

Spotting an exit up ahead that was partially open, and naturally assuming she had darted outside for whatever reason, Inuyasha hesitated for only a split second before heading out. '_Was she__ in__that much of a hurry to get away from me?_' he thought grimly, stepping through the doorway into the chilly night air, his eyes scouring the empty streets in vain for the runaway dancer.

"Damn," he cursed, dragging a hand through his thick, silvery locks as the guilt he felt for treating the woman like trash escalated a notch. "Why the hell do I care so much about her feelings? It wasn't even that serious." The lie did nothing to silence the mental rebuking of his conscience.

A familiar twinge pricked his senses, urging him to do something that he had vowed to Kikyo he wouldn't revert back to at any cost whatsoever. It was something that always accompanied his atypical stress related bouts, driving him to take out his frustrations by means of succumbing to a habit that was unquestionably shortening his life span.

Inuyasha began searching for the spare cigarette he always kept hidden within the recesses of his wallet just in case of emergencies such as this one. He had given up smoking with the help of Kikyo in the early stages of their relationship, since she absolutely detested anything that involved the depreciation of the body: smoking, the consumption of alcohol, and digestion of junk food. It had been hard at first to adjust to Kikyo's predetermined way of living, but he had done it, although halfheartedly, for her benefit.

Locating the cigarette, he popped it in his mouth and proceeded to look for a match when a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The cigarette dropped from his mouth and the blood in his veins turned to ice, the threat of impending disaster making his heart cease beating for a second. Suddenly the chilling effect disappeared as quickly as it had come, in its stead being replaced by something primal, a rage so powerful that his hands shook with anticipation.

* * *

Kagome didn't have time to think as the two flunkies flanked her, each grabbing an arm and a leg on opposite sides before yanking her to the ground. She choked on a scream as her head came into contact with the pavement, blinding pain exploding in the back of her skull and dizziness that made her vision fluctuated.

Coming back to reality as she felt her shirt being ripped and pulled away by burly hands, she bucked and squirmed and screamed in an attempt to save herself from being raped by a gang of thugs, only to have a fist driven into her stomach, the blow effectively curbing any resistance she had previously been putting forth.

Tears of defenselessness, anger, and humiliation gathered in her eyes. How could this have happened? What did she do to deserve such an ill fated end? Refusing to give in, she pushed through the terrible throbbing in her stomach and the acute pain in her skull and thrashed with all of the might she had left. Caught off guard by her sudden outpouring of energy, her knee struck the shorter man in the groin. A surge of hope sparked within her as his eyes dilated, his grip on her limbs loosening.

Using the slack to her advantage before the man recovered, Kagome yanked her hand out of his hold and swung it around to hit the other man on her opposite side. The thug howled in pain as her nails raked his face. Instead of letting her go to hold his face where she had slashed at his cheek like she had assumed he would do, he abandoned her leg only to take hold of her free wrist. Fully prepared to kick the hell out of the stalker standing with an amused grin inches away from her legs, she gasped and froze as the pointed edge of something sharp dug into her side.

The short man, having recuperated from being kneed in the crotch, grinned maniacally as he prodded her side deeper with the knife in his hand.

"Better not try to pull that stunt again, little girl," the stalker said, his smile sinister as he crouched down with eyes shining in lust and hands wandering up the length of her legs. Tear filled eyes widened in fear as his hands reached for the waistband of her sweatpants and slowly began to tug them downwards, revealing the smooth, creamy expanse of her thighs. "Now be a good little girl and maybe we won't shred your face and leave your innards lying on the sidewalk when we're done with you."

Whimpering, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and tried to mentally detach herself from reality, reassuring herself that this was all some terrible nightmare that she would soon wake up from and find herself safe and warm inside of her home. Hundreds of what ifs and alternate circumstances ran through her mind, all of them geared toward the simple fact that had she not been hired as an exotic dancer, this would not be happening right now. If only she could turn back the hands of time.

Just as she felt his fingers begin to pull her lacy underwear, they were abruptly snatched away. She yelped as the knife that had been jammed into her side disappeared, along with the vice grip hold on her wrists from the man above her fallen form. Kagome opened watery eyes in confusion in time to see three dark blobs, presumably the rapists, one lying motionless on the sidewalk beside her, the others launching themselves at a white blob.

Baffled, disoriented, and ready to give in to the darkness that was beginning to creep into her vision and coaxing her into a dreamless state of unconsciousness, Kagome lifted her head to watch as the person in white blob single-handedly brought the men down in two quick movements that she could barely follow. Unable to endure the pounding in her skull any longer, she laid her head back down, knowing that the threat of being raped had passed. For some inexplicable reason, she felt as if she could trust the guy in white, which made her slip into oblivion easier as the pain lessened and her sight dimmed. The last thing her mind consciously took note of being the flash of amber eyes before she fell into a dark abyss.

TBC

* * *

AN: Hope you liked it. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to get out as this one did, especially since I have a month out of college for break. Anyway, until next time people. Ciao! 


	4. Intrigue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the plot. **  
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**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**:**R** (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Kik/Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist, especially when feelings get involved. Inu/Kag

**Chapter Four: _Intrigue_**

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Dark blue had long since tapered off, its residual traces coalescing into a fusion of soft, multi-hued colors that reached to the edges of the heavens as the sun began peeking over the horizon. Swirls of cirrus and stratus hovered lackadaisically in strewn arches above the sleeping countryside. A dusky radiance draped over the green, dew laden foliation of the land, swathing the vegetation with a glossy sheen. A light, rolling mist dusted the vineyard, crystallized precipitation reflecting off the matured berries that clung to the vines in clusters.

Kikyo's lungs inflated with the sweet, untainted air of the early morning, the refreshing oxygen opening all of her senses and clearing her head of the clamorous upheaval of emotions and stress related reflections that had plagued her throughout the night. Exhaling loudly, she rolled her shoulders to uncoil some of the knotted tension bunching her muscles, her brown eyes surveying the vineyard that been passed down in her family for generations. Three hours of sleep was all that her conscious had allotted her, and she had reason to believe that it stemmed from the spat she had instigated with her fiancé yesterday.

Her chest tightened. '_Inuyasha_.' A frown formed on her otherwise flawless face, her lips pursing into a thin line. Had she been mistaken in her claims? Yes, he had lied to her in the beginning of their supposed relationship, from lying to her about the insignificant things like his whereabouts while they were dating, to telling her that he wasn't seeing anyone else only to be caught red-handed in bed with another woman when she had stopped by his condo on her way home from work one evening.

Needless to say that had been the deciding factor in her resolution to end things between them. But being the man of surprises that he was, he completely threw her off when the weeks to follow, he had tried on numerous counts to gain her forgiveness. On the third week, dozens upon dozens of bouquets of exotic flowers of every imaginable origin awaiting her at work. Unfazed by his futile attempts to get himself back in her good graces, she had planned on calling the concierge and having them take the plants to the dumpster, but that had been before Inuyasha stepped off of the elevator, got on his knees facing her, and pledged his heart to her, promising her that she was the only one he wanted in his life, how much she meant to him. His words had warmed her heart in a strange, indescribable way, invoking foreign feelings within her that no man had ever incited; effectively breaking down the stone wall she had erected to safeguard her heart.

From then on, things had changed, in regards to both their relationship and his demeanor. From the getgo, she had cited the terms and conditions he would be obliged to abide by for her to stay in the relationship. And much to her amazement, he had complied willingly and without a complaint, or at least in her presence. For the last six months, he had quit smoking, stopped with his womanizing habits, toned down with the use of curse words, stopped hanging out with his questionable associates at odd hours of the night and most importantly, promised that they would not have sex until after marriage. She had been raised the old fashioned way and would be damned if she just let some man come into her life and change her lifestyle for the sole benefit of his needs.

To her knowledge, Inuyasha had stayed true to his word, respecting her wishes to remain chaste and never going any further than she would allow. If he was frustrated with the slow pace of the relationship, he never voiced his thoughts or displayed his feelings through his actions and remained a loyal friend and confidante. Her sources indicated that he had in fact never deviated from his promises to her, and her sources were never misinformed. So she had consented to marriage after five months of courting, believing in her heart that he was the one for her. Where she was weak, he was strong, and vice versa. They were compatible on some levels and polar opposites on others, but it was a match that she was comfortable with and was sure would work out in the end.

So why now, after enduring months of acquiescence and devotion, would he throw it all away when they were about to solidify their bonds in holy matrimony? Or had she been wrong about the entire affair? Had he bought her a black laced thong, and if so, why couldn't she recall receiving it? But then again, he loved buying her things, even if she didn't wear them consistently. When they were dating, he used to bring her a gift every day to show his affection for her, so many, in truth, that she had failed to remember half of them. Something along the lines of hope sprouted within the frozen chambers of her heart. Could it be that she had erroneously indicted Inuyasha of something that he hadn't done?

A weightless pressure on her elbow jarred her from her musings. "Grandmother," she acknowledged quietly, putting her customary front of tranquility back in place so the older woman wouldn't take note of her inner turmoil.

Kaede was not fooled by her granddaughter's attempts to conceal what she was feeling. Even when she was but a girl, Kikyo had always had a problem harboring her emotions inwardly instead of expressing herself externally. It was something that she hoped her fiancé could help rectify in time. "Is something troubling ye child?"

Kikyo gave the old woman who had raised her like her own daughter a pleasant smile. "No. Everything is fine."

Kaede squinted at her with her good eye. "It has to do with Inuyasha, does it not?"

Her smile never faltered. "What gave you that idea?"

"I can recognize relationship problems when I see them even at this ripe, old age. Now what troubles ye child?"

Uttering a sigh of exasperation at her grandmother's diligence and acuity, the younger woman stared off into the distance, her vacant expression pervading with fatigue. "Do you believe in true love; that there is somebody in the world perfectly suited for you in every way?"

"I believe in true love in the sense that two people who are deeply committed and willing the spend the rest of their lives together can work through all of their problems and overcome any obstacles, regardless of how difficult they may be or how long it may take. Trust is also a key aspect of the relationship, because without it, ye have nothing. And if ye do not trust each other enough that ye are not fretting thyself over what the other is doing, then perhaps this was not meant to be."

Kikyo tried unsuccessfully to stave off the feeling akin to dread that folded in the pit of her stomach at her grandmother's last few words. A frown wrenched the corners of her lips downward at the alteration of her mood at the allusion her fiancé possibly was not the right man for her. '_Why is this bothering me at all? I've gotten this far in life without the companionship of a man; what has changed that I am so averse to give this life up to return to a life of solitude_?'

She mentally scoffed at her thoughts. She didn't need him. Not now, not ever. The only reason she had agreed to date him in the first place was for a change of pace. She was Mitsurishi Kikyo, renowned for her popular talk show that she had started from scratch and was now shown in quite a number of different languages all around the world due to its reputation, had made millions from her real estate ventures in several parts of Asia, including Japan, and had her family's best selling vineyard that produced some of the best wine in the world. She was on top of her game and showed no sign of slowing up any time soon. There was no obstacle she couldn't overcome, no challenge she couldn't meet, and no competitor she couldn't surpass. If there was one thing that she didn't need to survive, it was a man. She didn't need Inuyasha, his money, or his status. She had all the influence and capital that she would need in this life and the next.

'_But then again, life would be so much more tedious without his exuberance and passion_.' There was never a dull moment with him around, even if most of the time was spent talking on the phone because of their hectic schedules and business conferences that were generally located outside of Tokyo, leaving them with little instances where they could get together face to face. It was hard to admit to herself that she needed his presence and even harder to divulge that she might have been wrong in regards to her wild accusations concerning his fidelity.

"Come," Kikyo broke the momentary spell of silence and began walking down the dirt path that led to the paths separating the rows upon rows of full-fledged grapes, "we have spent enough time talking of trivial things."

"And what of the situation with ye and Inuyasha?" Kaede suppressed a chuckle as she witnessed a ghost of a smile flit across the woman's face.

"I suppose I will call him to smooth things over. I will not allow this relationship to be jeopardized over my foolish insecurities." With her mind free from guilt and worry, she readied herself for a full morning's worth of picking berries with a hidden smile. '_Maybe this will work out after all._'

* * *

A sudden, sharp twinge of pain at the base of her skull jolted Kagome from the deep clutches of slumber that held her consciousness in a perpetual state of inertia. She groaned, the sharp pain converting into an annoying, throbbing ache as the last vestiges of sleep ebbed away. '_Ow. What the hell happened last night? And why do I feel like I've been clocked with a baseball bat?_' She vaguely remembered waking up to a similar condition a couple of weeks earlier after Suki slipped more vodka than necessary into her martini, thinking that she wasn't drunk enough and needed to let loose more than usual. 

With eyes still closed, Kagome unraveled her hand from the sheets and brought it to the derivation of the pain to provide some relief. Parting through her silken locks, her fingers ran across the back of her scalp until she found the source of her misery and winced when she made contact with the quarter sized lump nestled comfortably beneath the roots of her hair. She frowned as her fingers circled the width of the tender skin around the knot. Who the hell knocked her upside the head?

Composing a mental note to make an effort to try and remember what happened the previous night, Kagome yawned and stretched the kinks and cricks that had accrued overnight. She stopped mid-movement as her hands skimmed the covers that swathed her body. Since when was her bed comprised of satin sheets? Kagome eyes flew open and had to choke back a gasp at her surroundings. This was most definitely not her room. Ignoring the hammering of the inflamed lump, she quickly sat upright in the king size bed and flung off the red satin sheets.

'_Where am I_?' Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she surveyed the exceptionally large room. Crème colored walls enclosed an area that was decked out in what had to be thousand dollar black, leather sofas, a grand fireplace that almost reached the ceiling, oriental rugs laid out across the carpeted floor, expensive paintings lined up on opposing sides of the wall, windows draped in burgundy silk, a tall, marble fountain spouting water centered in the middle of the room, and…Kagome's heart did an unexpected flip flop when her gaze landed on what, or rather who, was slouched on a black ottoman the right of the bed.

He sat with his arms intertwined across his broad chest, his head hanging down, allowing his silver mane of hair to fall on either side of his face, his peaceful expression creating his already finely chiseled features to present an angelic air that literally took Kagome's breath away. He was beautiful. '_Beautiful? I must be loosing my mind_,' she inwardly shook her head of the notion, but found herself unable to look away from the flawless creature and confused as to why he looked so familiar. '_Wait_,' she mused as recollections of last night began to pour forth from her psyche, anger taking place of curiosity as she remembered what exactly occurred, '_he was that asshole birthday boy from the club_.' She seethed as she bore in mind how he had almost reduced her to tears.

'_But he did save you from those guys that could have raped you_.'

Anger gradually melted into gratitude as pieces of the rest of the night fell into place. She had been saved from the rapists by a man with silvery-white hair. Though she hadn't seen his face, it had to have been him. What were the chances of meeting another white haired, amber eyed man on the same night? Her fingers unconsciously found themselves lightly stroking the knot on the back of her head. '_I must have blacked out when I hit my head on the pavement_.' Her eyes drifted back into her savior's direction. '_He could've left me for dead on the street, and yet he decided to bring me back to his place and even give up his own bed to a complete stranger._'

She sighed as she took in his sleeping from. How could he be an angel and a demon at the same time? An impulsive urge to reach out and touch the long locks of silver swept across her mind. Powerless to stop herself from finding out if they were as soft and downy as they looked, Kagome crawled from her spot on the bed over to the edge, her hand hesitantly extending to where he sat. She practically jumped out of her skin when a large hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed her wrist, a lance of pain from the bump generating a fresh wave of dizziness that was promptly ignored.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?" he asked slowly lifting his head to shoot her an indolent grin.

Unwilling to admit how much those twin pools of gold were affecting her, Kagome hardened her expression and tried unsuccessfully to wrench her wrist from his hold. "You should not be talking you bipolar freak."

Silver eyebrows furrowed at this. "Bipolar freak?"

"Yes, bipolar freak. What are you deaf too?" She watched as his handsome face screw up in a scowl of annoyance.

"Is this the thanks I get for saving you from thugs who were about to do God knows what to you?" he growled, tugging her resisting form towards him so that they were almost nose to nose.

"Thank you for rescuing me, but that still doesn't make up for you being such a bastard at the club."

Inuyasha winced. Somehow he knew that last night would come back to bite him in the ass in some shape or form. "Listen, about that…"

"You don't have to say anything," she said smoothly, yanking back her wrist from his loosened grip. "I perfectly understand that you're a conceited moron with a hero complex. I have no qualms with people such as yourself, as long as you stay away from me."

"Dammit woman, would you shut up for a minute so that I can have a chance to apologize," he breathed in exasperation and dragged a maddening hand through his hair, bemused as to how this passionate young woman could incite so many emotions within him at the slightest whim, some of which really had no business existing.

Kagome crossed her arms and stared at him indignantly, as if whatever he had to say would not sway her from her initial preconceptions of his character. "Impress me."

Inuyasha glared at her, angry that she was forcing him, the Nakamura Inuyasha, one of the richest and most widely sought after bachelors in the entire world, to apologize over something as trivial as name calling. It was beyond his understanding. Did she not know who he was? Didn't she know that with one phone call he could have her fired from her demeaning profession and evict her from whatever low income housing she had come from? His train of thought veered off course as he became ensnared by the furor swirling in her impassioned blue-gray eyes, a familiar heat coalescing within him at her bold defiance. With the exception of Kikyo, no other woman had ever dared to rebel against him, given that he was one of the most powerful men in Japan, and he would be lying if he said that particular quality quite appealing.

Guilt beat down on his conscious with a vengeance. Harboring lust for the woman in front of him would only result in the demise of everything he had worked so hard to attain, most importantly his beautiful fiancé and his reputation. He had to get her out of there before it all came tumbling down, no matter how much his libido wanted him to take her._'Dammit, Kikyo. This is what you get for depriving me of sex. I'm going fucking out of my mind_.' "You know what? You're right," he told the stripper plainly, his voice losing its hold on any anger, "I do owe you an apology. You see, my girlfriend wants to wait for me to have sex. And since it has been well over six months since I've last gotten any, I become a little unstable when it comes to seeing attractive women, especially when one such as yourself is gyrating against a pole in front of me."

Resentment forgotten, Kagome's cheeks took on a tomato hue at the candid confession and the reason behind his unpredictable behavior. "Err..-"

He held up a solemn hand to silence her. "No let me finish. When I first saw you, I won't lie, I wanted to yank you off that stage, drag you to a remote part of the building, preferably a bathroom, and-"

"Alright, alright, I get your point!" Kagome intervened before he could finish his lewd comment, flames engulfing her face in a bright shade of red. '_I have a nagging suspicion that his sleazy sex fantasy will undoubtedly be worst than those that Suki loves to tell us_.' She cringed at the thought.

Holding back a laugh at her innocence, Inuyasha settled for a sheepish grin so she wouldn't think he was completely deranged. "So in order to regain some restraint I had to distance myself from you, which meant treating you like scum, and for that I truly am sorry," he said sincerely. Everything for the most part was true, save for the fact that Kikyo was the fiancé he was bound to marry in a matter of weeks, a small detail he didn't want her to know for reasons that were still unknown to him.

Salvaging what was left of her composure which had been so tactfully crushed with his not so subtle remarks, Kagome offered a weak smile. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. "See, apologizing isn't so hard now is it?"

He folded his arms rebelliously and snorted. "Keh. Shows what you know wench."

Her eyebrow furrowed in annoyance. And maybe she was wrong about that. "My name is Kagome, not wench."

"Wait, let me turn on the part of my brain that gives a damn."

She ground her teeth together. "You have got to be the rudest, most vulgar asshole I've ever met."

He shot her lopsided grin. "I'm not rude, wench. You're just insignificant." He had never had so much fun pissing someone off.

Growling, Kagome bolted to her feet in a fit of rage, intent on spewing the most deprecating names that she had heard being thrown around the club when an onslaught of pain caused her to cry out in agony and lose her equilibrium. Drowning in the surges of pain that begot a brief bout of paralysis as well as tears, she failed to notice the strong arms holding her up against a hard chest.

Inuyasha's heart had constricted in response to her agony and had acted quickly, catching her before she fell off of the bed. Stifling his own fear for her safety, he gently cradled her stiff form for support. "Oi, you're ok now," he said gruffly and bent forward to look into her eyes, a frown tilting his lips as he saw the falling tears.

Kagome offered him a subtle nod, distrusting her ability to speak coherently at the moment as the tide of dizziness began to recede. '_Ugh, I feel like crap. How hard did I hit my head anyway?_' She flinched, lightly touching the lump and gave a startled squeak when her fingers brushed against a certain someone else's, who also happened to probing her wound. Kagome opened her mouth to protest against the unwanted attention, but stopped upon registering his proximity, his toned, bare chest millimeters away from her face. A rush of heat colored her countenance yet again. '_Why am I just now noticing his lack of clothing?_'

Inuyasha continued his ministrations, unaware of the embarrassment that his ward, his main focus centering on her well-being. "I think you might have a mild concussion." With one hand he adjusted the pillows behind him, the other still holding her to his chest. "Stay here, I'll be right back." He carefully maneuvered her body so that she rested comfortably against the oversized, fluffy pillow.

Kagome watched as he strode out of the room, his movements as graceful and agile as a panther, the muscles of his back shifting easily beneath his taut, bronzed skin. '_Oh gods_,' she buried her face in her hands in mortification, '_was I just checking him out? I cannot be attracted to that rude, insensitive cow that has a hang-up with name calling. I need to get out of here and back home, ASAP_.' The part time stripper looked up, relieved to find that the stranger had yet to return.

'_It's now or never_.' Sliding her legs over the edge of the bed, Kagome inched her way down until her feet touched down on the soft carpet. Her vision reeling, she stumbled to the door, heedful of the various obstacles impeding her escape, one being the exceptionally large fountain. Stopping momentarily to take a better look, she peered at the architectural genius that had to go into making such a beautiful piece of work. The elaborate mosaic inlayed pool was carved from the finest, dark Rosetta marble with red and white veins throughout which completely harmonized tastefully with the atmosphere of the room. But what caught her eye in all of its prominent glory was the great white wolf or dog that stared back at her atop of the two tiered fountain, every feature carefully etched, giving it a sort of natural air of finesse mixed with a predatory prowess.

"Quite the eye catcher isn't it?"

Kagome jumped at his voice, which she learned was not the best of ideas when possessing a concussion. The world tilted off its axis and brought about another lapse in her equilibrium that would have had her in the fountain had it not been for the supportive arm around her waist.

"Oi wench, didn't I say to stay in bed," he chastised with a displeased scowl.

Beating back another flush, Kagome glared at him. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but I really need to be getting back home." Her eyes fell to the digital clock that rested on his night dresser, panic flaring to life upon seeing that it was almost nine o'clock. '_I'm going to be late for class!_' "I have to go now." Kagome squirmed out of his grasp and sidestepped the arm the reached out for her hand. "Thank you for rescuing and looking after me after…what happened last night. Unfortunately there aren't enough decent guys in the world such as yourself that I can walk home safely without getting attacked, but you're still an asshole," she added quickly when his lips drew into an arrogant grin.

"It's nice to know that you think so highly of me." His grin faded, amber eyes taking on a serious glimmer. "But you're not going to any classes today. You're obviously in no condition to attend any classes, therefore you will stay in bed all day and rest."

"What are you, my physician?" she scoffed.

"No, but I do know that you won't recover racking your brain in class. Grad school is no joke."

"I'm in undergrad," Kagome retorted tartly.

He blinked, his eyes roving over the contours of her body. "How old are you?"

She bristled at his wandering eyes. "Nineteen." It was 8:45. "I have to go. Unlike you people, some of us actually have to get a college education in order to secure a job instead of depending on a trust fund."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. There was absolutely no arguing with this girl. She was as pig-headed and stubborn as him. "Listen, I'll make you a deal. I'll only take you home if you agree to stay in bed for the day and sleep. If you don't comply, then I'll be forced to lock you in here for the remainder of the day."

"I'll scream for help," Kagome maintained inflexibly, her arms crossing for show.

"I own this entire building, wench. If somebody has the audacity to complain, they'll find themselves evicted first thing tomorrow morning," he smirked, knowing full well her conscience wouldn't allow her to do such a thing.

Annoyed, Kagome blew air from her mouth. He had her and he knew it. '_Damn this conceited, rich bastard_.' "Fine," she conceded, albeit reluctantly, the situation being out of her hands.

"Good. Take this pill; it will help with some of the pain." He waited patiently until she unfolded her arms and took the glass of water and the pill from his hand, schooling his features in an expression of innocence so as not to disclose his deceit as she downed the water and pill in seconds. But it was disconcerting to see how much trust she had in him. He could have been giving her drugs for all she knew. Repressing the guilt trip at tricking her into taking the painkiller, he retreated to his walk-in closet and proceeded to get dressed.

Kagome waited edgily as he took his time, her eyes continually seeking out the red digital numbers of the clock, her patience thinning with the passing of each minute. Her eye twitched. He was taking this long on purpose, probably knowing that she had no intentions of going back to bed when he dropped her off. '_Asshole_.' "Would you hurry up already? Jeez, you take more time getting dressed than any woman that I know," she griped after fifteen minutes had gone by.

"What's the hurry wench? Why are you in such a rush to go back to sleep?"

She caught herself before her jaw could drop. What had once been hot was now outright gorgeous, so much that it should be a sin. '_Who am I kidding?__This man is a sin in itself_.' The white collared shirt with a few buttons undone at the top to show off a generous amount of his muscular chest and black slacks did nothing but enhance his strangely exotic features, from the contrast of his stark white hair to those eccentric amber eyes that glowed with an intensity that caused her to go weak in the knees. Seemingly unconcerned with her blatant gaping, he circled around the room, picking up keys and a jacket before returning his attention to her.

"Ready?"

Kagome blinked, hurriedly hiding her embarrassment. "Uh, yeah." '_The sooner I get home, the better_,' she mentally groaned and followed him out of the door.

Inuyasha waited to hear the characteristic gasp of astonishment that women usually made when visiting his place for the first time at the plush complexities of his bachelor pad. Her dispassion towards one of the things he took great pride chinked his ego. He stopped suddenly, making the girl behind him slam into his back.

"Hey, what's your problem?"

He whirled around to face her, his face pulled into a frown that Kagome began to recognize as customary. "You're the only one here with the problem. You don't have anything to say about my place," he said with barely contained irritation, his hand waving for emphasis.

Smoky blue eyes took into account the Berber carpet, ceramic tiles, vaulted ceilings, lush furniture, parquet floors, the gorgeous bay windows in the living room that provided a gorgeous, panoramic view of the city, and the giant chandelier that hung stylishly from the foyer ceiling. "It's ok, I guess," Kagome shrugged nonchalantly, and almost laughed when his mouth dropped open in shock.

Quickly recovering, he bit back a caustic retort and stiffly continued walking to the front door. '_What the hell? Why is she acting as though this place is commonplace? Someone like her couldn't have possibly seen a place as luxurious as this_.' His usual smirk fell into place as they walked to the elevator. '_Perhaps seeing my cars will change her mind_.' It took no time flat for them reach the basement of the building and Inuyasha escorted her to his private lot. Activating the metal door with the device on his key ring, he stood by smugly as the door gradually opened, revealing a number his high-priced means of transportation that ranged from top of the line motorcycles to imported sports cars. "Today is your lucky day. Not many people have the opportunity to ride in my most prized of possessions. Which one suits your fancy?"

Kagome stared at the rows of expensive automobiles. '_Aston martins, Lamborghinis, Range Rovers,….why does he need all of these? While he's splurging and wasting money on all of these unnecessary goods, people are dying from hunger and disease. People like him are too self-involved to contribute funds to the underprivileged_.' "Whichever you prefer is fine with me," she monotoned.

Inuyasha felt like ripping his hair out in frustration. This girl was impossible to please. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think you're too good to indulge in one of my many accessories?" he snapped angrily.

Her eyes, glittering with chips of ice, reflected dangerously in the dim light of garage. "Au contraire, I'm not the one with overstated self-image," she replied frostily, "I would appreciate it if you would just pick 'one of your many accessories' so that I can go home. I would like to go to sleep."

His golden eyes flashed in anger, but he remained tight lipped and chose to drive the Vanquish. The ride was uncomfortable and strained, the only words exchanged between the two being directions to her home. It was nothing short of a miracle when he finally pulled up the lengthy stairs that led to shrine.

Kagome unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face his rigid profile. "Thank you for all of your efforts. I am grateful for all that you've done, even though I still think you're a narcissistic bastard." She smiled at the twitch of his lips, thankful that some of the tension that they had been practically drowning in was progressively letting up. "I wish I could pay you back for your kindness."

"Don't worry about it," he responded with forced brusqueness, not wanting to appear too caring.

She opened the door handle, intent on getting out when a thought hit her. She turned back around. "You're the rudest man I've met." Annoyed gold clashed with amused blue. "All this time we've spent together and you've never told me your name."

He relaxed his hold on the steering wheel as he gazed into the most oddly colored eyes he had ever seen in his life. "Yash." He inwardly started at the second half truth he had spoken to her that morning.

Kagome grinned. "Well, thanks Yash. Maybe I'll see you around sometime if you ever decide to slum it up."

"You don't live in the slums," he rolled his eyes. "It's actually peaceful around here."

She stared at him for a moment in utter disbelief. "That has got to be the nicest thing you've said to me all morning." Before he could take it back, she exited the vehicle and closed the door. With a wave good-bye, she began the long trek up the stairs, completely unaware of eyes that lingered on her figure.

Too used to running up the stairs to break a sweat, Kagome entered the house and ran to her room, her goal being to change into other clothes so that she could go to class moderately clean. As soon as ran into her bedroom however, a surge of grogginess knocked her senses out of whack. '_What's happening?_' Struggling to make it to bed on legs that refused to obey mental commands, Kagome just barely made it to her bed before collapsing. '_Why…_' She recalled the white pill that Yash had given her earlier. '_That definitely wasn't…ibuprofen_.' The weight of her eyelids increased twenty-fold. '_I'm going…kill…_' was her final thought as she gave in to the sweeping blackness that consumed her consciousness.


	5. Tension

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything but the plot.

**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**:**R** (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Kik/Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist.

**Chapter Five: _Tension_**

* * *

His fingers massaged the bridge of his nose, not the least bit surprised when it did absolutely nothing to alleviate the pressure that had gradually accumulated over the duration of the day. Staying on top was no easy feat. Over the past seven hours, he had been subject to three stale board meetings, several stacks of paperwork that had not lessened atop his desk and the usual heated argument with his partner/half-brother over each other's supposed ill-advised choices. Nothing was simple anymore and hadn't been since their firm breached the 500 billion yen mark last year. Since then, the firm had skyrocketed in prestige, clients and assets. Shikon Inc. was the most used corporation among social elites as well as booming businesses across the globe. The firm now represented over 500,000 high-priority clientele, something that no Japanese-owned corporate investment firm had ever accomplished in history.

Inuyasha's chest heaved with exhaustion, tired golden eyes drifting over the hustle and bustle of the city below him. Being partner in a prestigious joint venture as successful as Shikon had its perks, one being the possession of an expansive, top floor office that could easily double as a small, lavish, condo. The only pitfall to owning such a vast corporate empire was all the work that had to go into maintaining it at a level where it persisted with surpassing all others.

Caging a tired yawn, Inuyasha swiveled his black leather recliner from the windows to his large, polished desk where across from him sat his secretary, still reading off the reports that were a mandatory obligation thanks to the idiocy of his brother and his faux concern for the ideas and opinions of their employees.

"…believe that managerial overconfidence accounts for the distortions in the investments."

He slouched deeper into his seat and rested his chin lackadaisically against his fist and studied her profile. She was cute and flirtatious, and had been one of the many flings that he had partaken in during his wild years. They hadn't lasted very long, mainly because of her unnatural fetish with his hair, something he found quite disturbing, especially when he was trying to seduce her and all she could do was comment about its texture. For anyone else, it would've been awkward to continue working for the boss who you'd screwed the night before, but not for someone as vapid as Yura. No, after thanking him for a wonderful sex filled night the following day, she reverted back into secretary mode and acted as though nothing had transpired between them.

Inuyasha drummed his fingers along the armrest. "Yura," he drew out her name slowly to emphasize the blatancy of boredom in his tone.

"The overestimation of returns to their investment projects and view of external funds as unduly costs."

"Yura." '_I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad that she takes more interest in the affairs of my company than I do._'

"The overinvestment when there is an abundance of internal funds will most undoubtedly curtail investments when they require external financing."

"Yura!"

Startled ruby dipped irises lifted from the reports to connect with those of her boss. "Yes, Inu-kun?"

Inuyasha cringed at the irritating pet name. "What have I told you about calling me that?" he shot her a withering glare.

A wicked smile spread across her cherub shaped face, a brow rising up in response to the query. "You said not to address you as such in public." Reports forgotten for the moment, she got up and leaned over the desk, her hand reaching out and grasping a handful of his hair. "You never said anything about when we're in private."

He yanked his hair from her prodding fingers. "We're finished here, Yura." He waved her off.

She pouted. "But Inu-kun, I'm not finished reading the reports to you."

"Well I'm done listening so save your breath for someone who cares."

"Oh, Inu-kun," the secretary gathered her things and offered him a wistful smile, "you were so much more fun before you became engaged to that cold hearted bitch of a-" The rest of her words froze at the tip of her tongue at the steel edge in his eyes that dared her to finish the rest of her incomplete remark. "Sheesh, down boy. No need to go all rabid dog on me. I'm only telling the truth." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and left.

His anger receded as quickly as it had come, leaving him drained and ready for the day to end. How many more years did he have until retirement?

"Aw, is the poor baby tired?"

"Go fuck yourself Miroku."

Said man grinned. "No need to when I have Sango to bestow me with that pleasure."

Golden eyes narrowed at the part-time monk that stood propped casually upon the threshold of his office. "Did you have something of actual importance to say, because if not get the fuck out. I don't have time for your idiocy."

Miroku sighed and reluctantly dragged himself inside of the spacious office. "I hope this perpetual funk you're stuck in nowadays wears off once you come back from your honeymoon because I speak for everyone when I say that this grumpy state of mind of yours is most unappealing."

"Since when have I given a damn about anybody's opinion?" Inuyasha guardedly eyed the other man as he casually dropped into the chair his secretary had previously occupied.

"Well," Miroku began, picking up an imaginary piece of lint from his custom tailored suit, "you certainly give a damn about Kikyo's opinion. You made a complete 180 degree turn attitude-wise. I've never seen you so committed to one woman in the entire time that I've known you."

He shrugged and retrieved the scattered reports. "It's time for a change. Besides, weren't you part of the majority that wanted me to settle down in the first place?"

Miroku lifted a skeptical brow. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Inuyasha?"

"Why is it so hard for you and everybody else to accept the fact that I've changed and am getting married in less than a month?" He shoved the reports rather forcefully into his desk drawer, his jaw tensing with hampered irritation.

"Because you seem to have an affinity for making mistakes of mass proportions. Understandably, you are a hell of a business tycoon and teamed up with your brother, you both are unstoppable, but why the sudden decision to tie the knot so early on in your life? Most rich, successful men don't fathom the prospect of getting married until they're in their late thirties at least."

"Miroku, you should know by now that I'm not most rich, successful men." Frowning at the direction their conversation was going, Inuyasha rose from the leather lounger and walked over to his closet. "Why are you so interested in what I do with my love life all of a sudden?"

"I'm just looking out for the well being of my best friend and co-worker like I've been doing for years." Standing, Miroku watched as he stepped out of the walk-in closet and pulled on his jacket. "I'm not trying to second guess your judgment; I just want to make sure you know what you're-"

"Well this is what I want," Inuyasha cut him off abruptly, his tone leaving no room for further discussion. "And as far as I'm concerned, this conversation is over with. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going." He snatched his car keys from his desk and wordlessly brushed past his best friend.

Inuyasha frowned at the bitter aftertaste that the exchange left in his mouth, but what was done was done and he had no intentions of take back his words. '_People need to learn to mind their own damn business. They still think they can dictate the terms of my life even after I've turned myself around._'

"Hey Inuyasha, you ok?"

He glanced over at a concerned Sango. "I'm fine. Tell my brother I'm gone for the day if you get a chance."

"No problem, but what happened to you last night? You left before you had a chance to open your presents." Brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You didn't take one of those dancers home and sleep with them by any chance did you?"

Inuyasha felt his hands tighten into fists, the beginnings of anger and offense causing him to count backwards from ten like his therapist prescribed in order to maintain composure.

Taking his silence for confirmation, Sango slid an exasperated hand over her face. "Inuyasha, you have got to stop with these random one night stands. You're getting married in less than a month and you're still running around with those sleazy bimbos. And don't even think about blaming it on the alcohol," she shook a chastising finger. "You didn't have more than a few Coronas and we all know of your astronomical tolerance. What if Kikyo finds out about this? You're going to…ruin…" Sango trailed off as he sidestepped her and walked to the elevator.

"I don't know how Kikyo can put up with him," Inuyasha heard her mutter before the elevator doors closed.

His hand trembled with inhibited anger as he punched the button for the garage level, grateful for the moment of solitude he could use to collect himself. Squaring his shoulders, Inuyasha let out a shaky breath, forcing some of his frustration with it. This was exactly what the problem was. His friends were the main ones on his case about anything and everything, scrutinizing his life with a fine-toothed comb with every move he made to ensure that he wouldn't screw up. So what, he'd been a reckless son of a bitch the latter part of his life, and on more than one occasion had had to be bailed out by his friends. He was a changed man, for better or worse he didn't know, but it was a welcome change from his volatile years and it was something they needed to get used to. '_Fuck. I need a smoke._' He patted the inside pockets of his jacket and pulled out a familiar carton.

Withdrawing a cigarette with his lips, Inuyasha crammed the carton back within the confines of his pockets and retrieved his lighter. He tapped his foot anxiously as the elevator doors finally opened, revealing the underground parking lot under the building. Stepping out, he lit the cigarette with the urgency of a starved man and inhaled, reveling in the burn searing his expanded lungs, then released the parting smoke in jet-like streams through his nostrils before going over to the Vanquish. Another perk in being among the most elite of businessmen would be having the most exotic of cars in the world at his disposal. And if there was anything that could rival his love for his woman, it would have to be his precious vehicles.

A smug grin outlined his lips as he disengaged the locks on the silver car. The shrill ringing of his phone shattered the silent moment between owner and vehicle. The light buzz the cigarette had given him still too much in effect for him to be the slightest bit annoyed at the disturbance, Inuyasha reached down within his pants pocket and dug out his mobile without paying heed to the caller ID. "Yo?" He took a drag.

"Inuyasha?"

He choked on smoke, the voice of his fiancé having demolished the peaceful walls his nicotine high had erected around his brain.

"Inuyasha? Are you ok?" Her voice sounded worried.

He coughed to draw out and expel the lingering traces of smoke from his lungs. "I'm fine," he winced, knowing that the hoarse, scratchiness of his voice had just given him away.

There was a pregnant pause on the other side of the line, one that didn't sit too well with Inuyasha as he regained his bearing. "Hello?"

"Were you smoking?"

"No," he said a little too quickly.

"I thought we were past lying to each other." Her tone hinted displeasure.

"You weren't when you kicked me out of my house, on my birthday no less," he snapped throwing down the cigarette and smashing it beneath his shoe, the recollection of yesterday's events further dampening his mood.

Instead of coming back with one of her usual cold retorts whenever he raised his voice at her, he was surprised when a sigh drifted into his ear. "We need to talk."

"About what? It's obvious that you're having issues of trust in regards to my whereabouts and activities," he replied dryly and got into his car.

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

Inuyasha's lips parted in shock being that this was the first time he had ever hear her apologize, to him or anyone else for that matter.

"It was wrong of me to assume the worst when I found those panties," Kikyo admitted regretfully. "It's just taking a bit longer than I thought for me to accept who you've become in such a short period of time. In my mind, I still see you as the wild party boy who threw up all over my shoes when we first met."

His mouth twitched into a half smile at the memory. He had been drinking far more than usual that night. And the combination of multiple rounds of Beirut and one too many dance numbers on the floor had caused him to throw up the remains of his dinner all over the Christian Dior stilettos of the renowned talk show host who'd been sitting near the dance floor. "I had a hell of a hangover the next day."

"I know. I was the one who sat with you through the night and on into the next to make sure you didn't suffocate from your own vomit," she laughed airily.

Inuyasha smiled. It had been a long time since he had last heard the lighter side of her personality. "You're forgiven." He turned on the car with a press of a button and closed the door. "Do you want me to pick you up after the show?"

"Sure, why not. I'll see you at five thirty then."

They said their good-byes and hung up. Inuyasha revved his engine, feeling in a considerably better mood after the phone call. '_I knew I didn't sacrifice my less than admirable ways for nothing._' Grinning, he started to switch gears when something caught his attention. It was a simple black duffle bag. Nothing distinctive about its look, but it was enough to trigger the remembrance of something, or rather, someone.

'_Wait, isn't that…shit_.' Inuyasha snapped on his seatbelt and threw the gear into drive. He had meant to call and check on the girl to make sure she was ok, but the thought had been planted at the bottom of his to do list upon seeing his workload when he arrived in his office. '_I can only imagine what 'Ember' has in store for me when she finds out I drugged her to make sure she didn't run off to class_.'

* * *

"Why that good for nothing piece of shit!" Kagome seethed tossing clothes that lounged at the bottom of her closet behind her in search of clean sweats. "I can't believe I actually trusted him with my life for a second." She snatched a pair of black sweatpants from the floor and proceeded to stuff her legs into them. "Damn my trusting nature. He even made me miss the first part of _**Kikyo**_" Still fuming, she stalked to her TV and absently flipped it to her favorite talk show of all time.

_**::loud applause in background:: **_**"I've been receiving emails from around the world about this topic for some time. Whether it is between family members, friends, or lovers, dishonesty is something that has been commonplace in relationships throughout the ages."**_** ::concurrence of audience:: **_

She remembered exactly what had come to past the moment she awakened from her drug induced state. Not only had she missed both her morning and afternoon classes, but she was also going to be late to her workout session with the girls down at the club. Never mind that she had had the best twelve hour rest nap she'd had in her life or that the pill had done wonders for her migraine. The fact remained that he had violated her trust and given her a drug that was so powerful it could've killed her.

"**Now I can account for those pathological liars and people with disorders, but what about the other ninety eight percent of the world? What compels a person to hide the truth from others? And is it really in the person's best interest if they don't know?"**

"Stupid Yash throwing my entire day off. If I never see him again it won't be a day too soon," Kagome grumbled and continued to ransack her room. "Where is my bag?" Aggravation quickly manifesting into anger, she gave up searching the room after ten minutes of coming up short and with a short growl, plopped onto her western style bed, arms crossed and eye twitching.

"**Take for example the woman who is happily married to the man of her dreams with two children, white picket fence and all. She doesn't know that her husband is cheating on her with his secretary. Now is he obligated to expose his dark secret or should he allow his wife to remain in her illusionary world where everything is perfect? Are we better off not knowing the truth sometimes? Is ignorance really bliss?" ::conspiratorial whispers:: **

Annoyance momentarily forgotten, Kagome tapped a thoughtful finger against her chin. '_Wow. Good point.'_ She glanced at the red digital numbers of her clock and swore under her breath. '_Too bad I will never know_.'

"**Today we're going to speak with a relationship specialist and psychologist, Dr. Watanbe Amira from-"**

Reluctantly, Kagome switched off the TV. "Damn it, if I worked a normal part time job instead of sliding up and down a pole I'd be off in time to watch my show," she muttered picking up her jacket from the back of her chair and exited the room to look for the missing bag one more time before departing. After partaking in another widespread search and retracing every step she might've taken twelve hours earlier, Kagome was at a lost and very much on the verge of ripping her hair out when the doorbell rang.

"Will this day ever end?" With a frown still in place, she walked over to the foyer and opened the door. Surprise held her face captive for a good minute as she came face to face with the bag she'd been tearing her house apart to find.

"Is gaping like an open mouthed fish how you greet all of your guests?" Inuyasha smirked holding up her bag.

Too relieved that her bag was no longer MIA, Kagome took the strap off of his open hand and crushed it to her chest. "You are my savior. I've been looking everywhere for this thing," she offered him a smile that warmed his heart and made him glad that he'd made the out-of-the-way trip, but when the corners of her mouth curled down and her pleasant demeanor gave way to something sinister, Inuyasha smartly took a couple of steps back and braced himself.

"What were you thinking giving me that prescription medication without my knowledge?" she exploded, her smoky eyes blazing. "What if I had had an allergic reaction to the substances in that pill?"

"Calm down, it was only Vicodin. It's a completely safe drug and doctor recommended if in a lot of pain. They usually use for concussion victims in the hospital so obviously regular drugs wouldn't do." He gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted it her face upward for examination. "And by the looks of it, you are allergy free, are you not?"

Fighting back a blush, Kagome swatted his hand away. "That's not the point."

"Then what is?" he countered taking a step closer so that they were face to face, taking a perverse pleasure in her discomfort.

"Ah…" The warmth radiating from the proximity of his body, the sharp, spicy scent of cinnamon and sage sending her senses reeling caused her mind to draw a blank.

For some reason, Inuyasha had the urge lay a kiss on the pouty lips that hovered painfully close to his own. Mentally chastising himself, he diverted his gaze from her mouth to the interior of her home. "So are you going to invite me in or are we going to stand out here until the cows come home?"

Kagome glared at the arrogant man. "_I_ was just about to leave."

"And _I_ am parched from driving halfway around the world to bring you that bag," he gave her a condescending grin.

'_Oh hell, I'm already late as is. A few more minutes won't kill me_.' "Come on." She led him to the kitchen and hurriedly poured him a glass of water.

"Why thank you." He took the glass and proceeded to drink as slowly as humanly possible. "So," he smacked his lips and leaned comfortably on the counter, "who do you live with?"

She rolled her eyes at his nosiness. "What's it to you?"

He shrugged. "I'm just making conversation."

"My mother, my grandfather, and my little brother. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." He finished the rest of the water in one gulp. "See, being a good hostess isn't that hard now is it?"

"Shows what you know," Kagome grumbled, taking the empty glass.

"So where are they now?" Inuyasha jumped back as the glass shattered into hundreds of fragmented slivers on the tiled floor. "Damn woman. You're one clumsy bitch." Looking up when she failed to make a comeback, he instantly regretted his words. Her face had become pale, the subtle shake of her hands as she bent down to retrieve the larger of the shards alerting him that there was something amiss.

'_Gods, I've got to keep it together. Everything will work out for the best. I've just got to have faith._' She did a double take as Yash stooped by her side with the broom and dustpan from the other end of the kitchen. "Sorry, it slipped," Kagome said numbly and held out her hand to take the cleaning utensils from him. "You don't have to help."

Inuyasha ignored her outstretched hands and began sweeping the splinters of glass into a heap.

Sighing, Kagome grabbed the handle of the pan and held it in front of the pile. "They're all out of the country at the moment. My brother's debate team went to an international championship in London and will be back in a week or two."

He knew that wasn't the real reason behind the glass dropping incident, but didn't press the matter. "Wait, so you're staying here all by yourself until then?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?" she retorted wryly as he brushed the sharp particles into the dustpan.

He merely frowned at her as she dumped the glass into a nearby trashcan. "So they just left you here by yourself?"

Kagome tried to keep her anger in check. "I can take care of myself without a chaperone."

"You're only 19 years old." His frown deepened. Though the neighborhood she lived in wasn't nearly as bad as the one he grew up in, it didn't sit well with him for her to be all alone in an insecure home at the top of a hill. It was an ideal setting for criminal mischief. She was isolated from everyone and everything and if things did take a turn for the worst, she would have nobody to run to. "What the hell are you going to do if someone tries to break into the house? Do you have some type of security alarm?"

"Nobody has ever tried to break in here before and I don't expect them to start doing so now." Kagome slammed the pan down in front of the last pile, her teeth grinding together.

"I don't think it was such a good idea leaving you here without any means to protect yourself in case something happens." Inuyasha swept the last remnants of glass into the pan and pulled out a pen from his pocket. Locating an envelope in the middle of the table, he bent over and quickly scribbled his digits. "Here. I'm leaving you my cell phone number."

She blinked, taken aback by the amount of trouble he was willing to undergo for someone he barely knew. But while the gesture was sweet, it was uncalled for. She could take care of herself and hers without the help of an outsider. "Listen, I appreciate your concern, but I think I can manage being on my own for a few weeks without any assistance. It's really no big deal."

Inuyasha snorted. "It is if you wind up kidnapped, raped, or dead. And it's something I'd rather not have on my conscious knowing that I could've prevented it."

Kagome clenched her fists. '_He'd rather not have it on his conscious? So this is all because he doesn't want a guilty conscious lest something happened to the poor, little shrine girl. I knew there was nothing different about him._' "You patronizing bastard. I don't need you or your help." Her eyes were like steel encased sapphires, hard and impenetrable. "Get out of my house."

Inuyasha felt himself bristle at her dismissal of both him and his proposition. "What the hell is your problem?" he growled. "I try to help you and you throw it back in my face like its nothing?"

"Go take your charitable rounds elsewhere because I'm not interested, especially coming from an asshole like you."

'_That's it. I've had enough of this crap. Try to help someone out and all they can do is spew insults_.' "Fine. Stay up here in this shithole and wither away for all I care. I'm done helping you out."

"Good since you always seem to do so without my say-so anyway." Kagome resisted against flinching under the dark, heavy gaze of his amber eyes that seemed to bore holes into her soul and let out an audible breath of air as he left without a word more. "I don't need him," she mumbled heatedly and balled up the envelope he had written on before tossing it into the waste bin. "I don't need him for anything." So why couldn't she rid herself of the apprehensive churning in her gut that told her otherwise?


	6. Disruption

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the plot. **  
**

**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**:**R** (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Kik/Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancée Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist.

**Chapter Six: _Disruption_**

* * *

True to his word, Yash hadn't returned after their falling out, not that Kagome cared or anything. She didn't need him, his arrogance, or his so-called help. Her life was hectic enough without some chauvinistic businessman infringing upon her routine. And besides, she was a grown woman. She didn't need a babysitter to come and look after her and make sure that she was okay. The crime in her parts was not outstanding that it would warrant such course of action. So what was the real reason behind giving her his number?

'_Oh yeah, because he didn't want to be held responsible for anything bad that could happen to me,_' she mentally scoffed, but the mental rationalization did nothing to shake the guilt she felt within.

For the thousandth time in the past three days, Kagome looked up from her Biology text to stare at the phone. It would take all of thirty seconds to call him up and apologize for her stubbornness and thank him for caring about her welfare, even if she didn't take him up on his offer. Her hand twitched. All she had to do was walk downstairs, get the envelope out of the trash, and call his cell, and then maybe she would be able to do some actual work.

'_No! I will not apologize I didn't even do anything._' Kagome forced her eyes to focus on the endless stream of words that continued to move about in a jumble on the page like alphabet soup floating in a sea of white. Her fingers drummed impatiently when the mélange of black letters refused to unscramble. Blowing the irritating bangs that insisted on poking her in the eyes, Kagome's gaze landed on the phone for the umpteenth time.

"Ugh," she slammed both the book shut and her mental deliberation, thoroughly disgusted that her train of thought was revolving around that egomaniac when she had a major test in less than eighteen hours. "There is no way I'm going to get through the test at this rate." With one hand, she pulled off the scrunchie that bound her hair in a high ponytail and let out a relieved sigh as cascading obsidian locks spilled down her back. Rolling her shoulders to relieve them of their stiffness, Kagome glanced at the clock hanging on her wall. It was a quarter until eight. Soon she would have to leave for work. '_Wonderful, I've been studying for the past three hours and am still on the same chapter I had been on when I started. Now I've only got five more chapters to go._'

Sighing, Kagome pushed her chair away from the desk, stood, and stretched, allowing her cramped muscles much needed liberation. She so did not feel like going to work tonight, especially with a test that counted twenty percent of her overall grade on the line. But the money she would get added to the three day's worth of tips from last week that she had stored in under the bed would be able to cover the electric bill due this week.

The soft rumbling of her stomach broke through Kagome's thoughts, reminding her that she hadn't had a meal since breakfast. "Calm down," she rubbed her grumbling abdomen sympathetically, "food is on its way." Seemingly satisfied with this tidbit of information, the growling subdued. '_That is, if there's anything left. With everything that's going, I haven't had time to shop, let alone eat_.'

Running a tired hand over her face, Kagome padded barefoot to the wall and flicked off the light. "What I wouldn't do for a cheeseburger right now," she grumbled heading into the hall, but stopped, her eyes meeting the empty room across from her own.

A thread of loneliness wrapped around her heart as she surveyed her little brother's room, clean (dirty?) articles of clothing mingled with video games and mismatched shoes were still strewn over the carpeted floor like they had been a month earlier. His bed was still unmade, most of the cover laying a heap on the floor. All of the drawers to his dresser were wide open, more clothes dangling over the side. She hadn't had the heart to clean up his pig sty of a room for in some way it felt as though he never left, as though they never left.

The thought guided her steps to the other two rooms on either side of the steps that led downstairs. Her grandfather's room was as messy, if not more than Souta's, with laying in a tangled heap at the foot of the bed, scrolls, ofudas, books on demons and purifications and other miscellaneous items littered the room. Kagome didn't know where the junk stopped and the floor began. She shook her head with a light smile, nostalgia yielding memories of when she was a schoolgirl and having every boy she had over chased away by a crazed old man waving ofudas and accusing them of being demons. Thank the gods for her mother, who as of recently made sure that her grandfather was kept in doors if a guy walked her home.

The small smile wilted before fading completely as Kagome turned to her mother's room, impeccable as ever. Everything was in their rightful place. The queen sized western style bed was made neatly, each pillow fluffed and situated in complimentary positions near the head. The sweet, floral scent that was her mother still emanated from the room, an invisible reminder of her presence, of who she was, of her gentle nature. Her throat tightening, Kagome looked away unable to handle the flood of overwhelming emotions the room evoked. She hated being helpless. Helpless to do anything about her mother's well-being, helpless to stop her pain, helpless to do nothing but sit back and watch her mother fade away.

The blaring of a honking car horn jolted Kagome back to the present. Wiping away the scattered tears that had, unbeknownst to her, formed during the poignant interlude, she glanced down to her watch and cursed. Suki was here to pick her up already. "I guess that meal will have to wait," she said apologetically to her stomach.

Jogging back to her room, she quickly retrieved her duffel bag from her closet, made sure everything she needed was inside, and grabbed her keys from the desk before departing. Kagome rolled her eyes at the incessant honking as she locked the front door. "Only Suki." Pocketing the keys and tying her hair up in a sloppy bun, she made her way to the top of the shrine steps and almost fell over at sight of an expensive convertible with the top down parked at the curb instead of an old Buick that could barely start up.

Suki stopped with the horn and leaned over the side of the silver 2004 Toyota MR2 Spyder, a grin as bright and wide as the sun itself. "Like my new wheels?"

Kagome's stupefied daze lifting, she ran down the stairs in record time, her grin mirroring the other woman's. "What happened to The Tank?"

"That piece of shit? I got rid of it. With all the good tips I've been getting since I've started, I can afford to be wasteful with my money." She tossed her hair back flippantly, which was comical since her hair didn't even reach her shoulders. "And besides, a woman as beautiful as me couldn't be seen in a dump like that. Now stop drooling all over my car and get in."

"Vanity is a sin," Kagome snorted going around the small convertible and entering the passenger's side.

"I can't help that I'm sinfully delightful." She gave a haughty laugh and threw the gear into drive. "Buckle up darling, this bitch has a lot more kick than The Tank." Suki stamped on the accelerator.

Kagome choked on a scream as the car tore down the street, the wind whipping her head back into the cushion of the head rest as the car reached sixty miles per hour in about six seconds flat. Scrambling to put on her seatbelt, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as she wove in and out of lanes, dodging slow moving cars at any cost, including their lives. "This baby has enough torque for five cars," Suki squealed applying more pressure to the gas pedal, her head tilted to the left to allow the passing wind to violently sift through her hair.

"Are you purposefully trying to kill us?!" Kagome yelled overtop of the thrashing airstreams, her grip knuckle white on the door handle.

"Oh Kag, you gotta learn to live a-GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" Suki banged, not honked, angrily on the horn at the poor old man who had been foolish enough to pull in front of a psychotic driver.

"Stupid old mother….FUCK!" A blue minivan to the right and a charcoal Maxima to the left boxed them in, effectively preventing them from shifting lanes. "I don't believe this shit!"

Seeing a red light coming up, Kagome silently thanked the gods for the small blessing.

Suki begrudgingly brought the car to a rolling halt. "I don't think people over the age of sixty should be allowed on the…this light is taking fucking forever."

"Patience is a virtue," Kagome sang.

"That I don't have." Realizing they weren't going anywhere anytime soon, Suki clicked her tongue and sat back in the chair, her expression thoughtful as she looked over at the younger woman. "So how've you been kiddo?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Would you stop referring to me as if I'm a child? I'm 19 years old."

"And still a baby in so many ways." Smiling, she reached over and ruffled Kagome's hair playfully. "Stay naive and innocent sweetie. It suits you. I suppose that is why Hiten is so taken by you." Suki jabbed her side suggestively and winked.

Cheeks heating up, Kagome averted her gaze to the intersection. "The light's green."

She immediately snapped forward, her attention focused on the motionless car in front of her. "Come on you old fart! What shade of fucking green are you waiting for?!"

Whimpering slightly, Kagome clung to the door handle as Suki speedily merged into the left lane and put the pedal to the metal, just narrowly missing a fender bender from an oncoming car as the car shot off like a rocket. She stuck her middle finger out the window at the car beeping at them from behind. "From now on, pick me up in The Tank. You and this car are a dangerous combination."

"Don't try and change the subject on me girlie." A sharp left threw Kagome into the door. Suki, however, remained unperturbed and upright. "Your birthday is coming up in a few, right? I'm going to drop a subtle hint to the big bossman. My guess is that he'll probably plan something romantic for just the two of you and then propose." With a hand over her heart and the back of the other over her eyes, she gave a heavenly sigh. "It's almost too good to be true."

"Suki! Watch the road!" Kagome dove for the wheel just in case the car veered into another lane.

"Kag, you worry too much," she said but reluctantly decided to be a driver again and put her hands back on the wheel. "Seriously you're always on edge babe. That's a sign that you haven't got any in a while. But don't sweat it. Hiten is going to change all that, even if I have to chain that fine, naked ass to the bed while you have your way with him."

Kagome blanched at the prospect, because it wasn't a naked Hiten who her imagination spurred to mind in a split second of wayward imagery, but a certain white haired individual stretched taut over satin sheets, his long, lean build housing a magnificent display of muscles. '_Oh gods_,' she inwardly groaned, flames engulfing her face, '_I did not just think that. What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I get him out of my head?_'

Taking her colored countenance for proof, Suki smirked and smacked the dashboard. "I knew it! You may deny it, but I know what the deal is. The sooner you accept your feelings for him, the sooner you can fuck the man."

Kagome winced at her choice words. "Must you always be so crude?"

"Must you always be a prude?" Suki retorted with a grin and ruffled her hair to show she was kidding, but her playful demeanor soon faded into annoyance. "Ah hell, I knew I should've picked you up earlier."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly as they entered the already full parking lot. Although the club didn't officially open until 8:30, a line of waiting party goers as far as the eye could see continued down pas the building and wrapped around the corner. "Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that this is going to be a long night?" she sighed.

"At least we'll be making a shitload of money while at it." It took five minutes to maneuver around the procession of cars waiting to be guided to a space by the parking attendant to enter the private sector of the lot where parking was limited to employees only, a great move on Hiten's part considering the influx of people during the weekends.

After flashing her ID to the guard stationed at the gate and entering the lot, Suki pulled into her regular spot in the front and cut the engine. "Hn, fuckface is working here tonight as well," she announced as they got out and shot a withering glare at the silver Mercedes parked a few cars down to her right.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome slung the duffel bag over her shoulder and closed the door. She did not have the patience or energy to put up with Mizuki's bullshit. "I hope she has enough sense to stay out of my way tonight or I won't be held accountable for my actions."

"I must concur," Suki agreed activating the security device. "But enough of this foul talk," she waved a hand as if clearing the air of their unpleasant words and sentiments, "let's go join the crew and make this money."

They greeted the bouncers at the back entrance, clocked in, and then made their way to the dressing room. This was the part of the night that Kagome least liked. Not only did they as dancers have to keep in shape and perform in the shows, but also had to do a couple of hours of waitressing. It wasn't mandatory of all dancers, but for those who wanted to make a couple of extra bucks. And for Kagome a couple of extra bucks could do no harm.

"Suki, Kagome, what's up?" Momiji smiled as they dropped their things at their stations.

"Have you seen her new ride?" Kagome asked setting her bag down on the chair.

The other woman stifled a groan. "Have I. She gave me a ride in it this morning. Almost pissed in my pants. Trust me when I say I won't go near that thing again, well with her behind the wheel anyway."

"Hey bitch if you don't like, you don't have to step a foot in it," Suki sniffed dumping the contents of her bag over the vanity table. "But don't come asking me to drop Lin off at the daycare anymore since my car isn't good enough for you."

"Who said anything about the car?" Momiji inquired strapping on her stilettos.

"I'm inclined to agree," Kagome admitted giving an apologetic smile to the shorter woman. "Whoever gave you a license should be fired, A.S.A.P."

"Who said I had a license?" Suki cocked an eyebrow smugly.

Kagome watched as Momiji opened her mouth, no doubt to come back with another retort, but stopped, her lips closing and forming a grin. "Um, Kag, I think somebody wants you."

Noticing the lack of activity in the room, her heart skipped a beat as she turned around. Something akin to disappointment rose and fell as she turned to face Hiten. Kagome shook the feeling off and offered a shaky smile. "Hey Hiten."

He flashed her a breath-taking smile, taking away the breath of several women in the room. "Kagome, can I have a word with you in my office before you start your shift?"

A frown furrowed between her brows. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh it's nothing serious. I just need to talk to you. Swing by when you get a chance."

"I can go now since my shift doesn't officially start for another fifteen minutes," she shrugged.

He shot her another dazzling smile. "Then let's be on our way."

Zipping her bag back up, she tossed it on the dresser and followed her boss out of the dressing room, completely oblivious to the contemptuous glares and stares from her fellow dance mates.

"I can't believe that little tramp," someone spat once Kagome had left the room.

"I know."

"And did you see how he was openly flirting with-"

"Talk about sleeping your way to the top-"

"I bet she's sleeping with his brother-"

"Hey, all of you shut the fuck up!"

Silence fell over the room, all eyes on the short woman with the fire burning in her eyes. "If I hear one bad word spoken about Kagome and I do mean one or if I even think you're speaking about her, I'm going to start breaking fingers, capisce?" Suki barked, her eyes challenging someone to defy her.

Fervent nods followed the threat.

* * *

"So what did you want to see me about?" Kagome asked folding her legs underneath her comfortably on his plush chair behind the desk and casually observed the layout of the oval office. She had always loved his flare for taste. The decorum went for casual with an eclectic edge. The room was a mix of tan, grays, and reds, complimenting colors that enhanced the aesthetic properties of the office.

Eight foot mahogany double doors stood at the entrance with a giant stone fireplace adjacent to them, tall bookshelves doubling as a haven bowls of refreshing potpourri, tan couches on either side of the room along with small pedestal tables accompanying each, a series of miniature chandeliers aligned on the lofty ceiling, a gray-red Rosetta stoned mini bar across from the fireplace and his black, marble desk sitting towards the back. The office was a stark contrast to the theme of his club and a revitalizing deviation that Kagome had no qualms being in after being in the dungeon for hours.

Hiten strode to his mini bar and poured himself a glass of brandy. "Can I get you something to drink? Scotch? Vodka? Apple juice?"

She raised a brow, a light smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "And why, may I ask, do you have apple juice in a club known for its exploitation of liquor?"

"Well," he began pouring a tawny-colored liquid into a glass, "it just so happens that I have one very important person close to me that dislikes the taste of alcohol." Hiten gathered both glasses in his hands and walked over to where she sat. "And I know her favorite drink happens to be apple juice, so I always make sure I have some in stock."

"You know me well," Kagome grinned gratefully taking the glass of juice. The tawny colored liquid struck a chord within her. Pursing her lips together, she tried to recall why she was reacting to the color of the juice. Something curled in her stomach as she remembered eyes the same shade, his shade, their depths shining with a sort of harnessed fervor that made her blood heat. '_Stop it. Stop thinking about him_,' she mentally chastised and downed its contents without another moment's hesitation, allowing the sweet nectar to cascade past the dry walls of her throat. "So what's up?"

Leaning against the edge of the desk, Hiten finished his drink in one gulp and set the glass down beside him, his gaze refocusing on her, his eyes now absent of everything save but concern. "Have you been feeling alright the last couple of days?"

Not knowing where he was going with this, Kagome cocked her head to the side in question. "What do you mean? Has something been off performance wise, because if so-"

"No, no, no, your moves are still as flawless and graceful as ever." Lowering himself to the floor on one knee so that they were eye level, Hiten took her hands, worry etched into his features. "I'm talking about that distracted look in your eyes, like you're not entirely here at times."

Kagome squirmed in the chair, uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed as well as his proximity, all too aware of the heat emanating from his large, protective hands. She gulped. "Um, why do you ask? Have there been complaints?"

"No, you're still at 100 customer satisfaction, but I'm worried about you. You don't…" he hesitated, trying to find the exact words to express his concern, "you haven't been yourself as of late." He held up a hand to quiet her before she could speak. "And don't try and deny it because I can see it in your face when you're both offstage and onstage."

'_Great, he has distracted me from my study time and now my job_.' Careful to not reveal her bitter thoughts from displaying outwardly, she settled for looking at her lap. "I've been really stressed out with balancing work and studying for all these upcoming tests that are going to be given back to back."

"Are you sure that's the problem?" Jumping slightly as he touched the side of her face, she lifted her gaze and met quizzical teal eyes. "Your family isn't back yet, are they?"

"No, not yet," she answered softy. "But they should return in the next couple of weeks."

Hiten nodded. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me. I'd be more than happy to make adjustments to your schedule or go pick up some groceries for you." He smiled, her laugh similar to the chiming of crystal bells.

"You'd seriously go out and buy groceries for me, not one of your hundreds of maids and butlers," Kagome teased and prodded his arm, knowing full well of the arsenal of hired help he had doing his everyday chores upon visiting his manor.

"Seriously, I would. Just give the order and I'm gone."

"That's not necessary, but thanks anyway," she smiled rumpling his bangs.

Hiten sighed. "Sometimes you're too stubborn for your own good, you know that?"

"I am what I am." She glanced down at her watch and felt a ping of sadness when she saw that her time with him was being cut short because of her job. "I've got to go. I don't feel like hearing Hisa's bitching about me being two minutes late."

"Is she giving you trouble? Because if she is, let me know now and I'll -"

"No, no that's okay," Kagome said quickly. She did not need to hear anymore shit from the girls about how she was Hiten's little pet, or worst, his whore. "I'd better get going." Unfolding her semi-numb legs, she stretched and reluctantly stood from the cushy recliner, missing its warmth already. "Thanks for the apple juice. I'll see you around."

"Kagome." Feeling a hand take her by the wrist, she turned back around to face her now standing boss.

"Yeah?"

She stopped herself from jumping when strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her into a firm chest. Relaxing in his protective embrace, Kagome wound her arms around his neck and nestled her face on top of his shoulder. "Stay strong, beautiful," Hiten breathed into her hair.

Her throat tightened. Willing herself not to cry, she turned her head to the side. And that's when she saw her. Mizuki was staring through the window, onyx orbs burning with revulsion and hatred, face twisted in a mask of fury and jealousy, lips curled and teeth bared. Unease coiling in her gut, Kagome averted her gaze and extracted herself from his comforting hold half-heartedly. "Thank you Hiten, for everything." She hoped her smile reached her eyes.

The frown forming on his face told her that it didn't. "What's wrong? Why are you so pale all of a sudden?"

"Bye Hiten. I'll see you later." Spinning out of the range of his grasp, she practically ran for the door. Mizuki was nowhere to be found when she exited his office, the hallway empty save for the two bouncers posted on either side of the door. Ignoring the crawling of her skin as she swiftly walked back to the empty dressing room, Kagome changed into her waitress uniform in record time and left for the main room. She could only hope that tonight went down without a hitch.

"Thanks for the ride Momiji." Kagome yawned, shifting the bag to her other shoulder.

"No problem girl. Even though my baby isn't as fast or as pretty as Suki's Spyder, my baby gets the job done." She laid a loud, juicy-sounding kiss atop of the steering wheel. "I'll see you later hon."

Kagome waved and watched as the little green Acura sped down the street. Chest heaving from exhaustion, she began to make the treacherous hike up the shrine stairs. "As soon as I make enough money, I'm installing an escalator," she muttered glaring at the seemingly endless troupe of concrete steps. Usually she would've been able to run up the stairs in ten seconds flat, but after a laborious night of waitressing, dancing, grinding, etc. she was officially worn out. "Ugh, I'd kill for a-"

_Clink. _

_Clink. _

_Clink. _

_Clink._

Kagome fell silent, her heart ceasing to pump as the empty can of spray paint rolled past her, the loud, almost crude bouncing of the aluminum can unremittingly breaking the silent night air. Every nerve in her body on edge, she slowly finished the last few steps leading to the house.

Breath hitching in her chest, Kagome let out a small, indefinable sound, the black bag dropping to ground. The florescent light of the full moon highlighted the destruction to the teeth, allowing her to see the full extent of damage. To say the shrine was desecrated would be putting it lightly. '_Oh my god._' She lifted a shaky hand to her mouth. Each and every window of the house was shattered, the shutters ripped from their hinges, the door lying in a splintered heap by the threshold, toilet paper littered the grounds, decorated the trees, the house. But what was even more despicable than despoiling holy grounds that had been passed down through the generations, were the ugly, derisive words spray painted in red over the panels of the house, words that mocked the holy place to such a degree that made her sick to her stomach.

Smoldering bile clawed its way up into the back of her throat. Legs feeling like they weighed several hundred pounds, Kagome stiffly approached the place that was her home. '_How could somebody do something like this? Why would anyone want to do this?_' Angry tears clouded blue-gray eyes, her hands trembling, as she stepped onto the porch, the only thing that remained unscathed.

Her heart lurched painfully as Kagome walked past the threshold. The interior looked no better than the outside. There were more sordid red writings on the walls, leading up the stairs and into the kitchen. Tables were unturned, curtains slashed, floor littered with broken pieces of china, trash, shattered vases, ripped pictures. Nothing was left intact. Kagome collapsed numbly to her knees and allowed the free flowing tears to run down her face. The indistinct objects swimming in her vision was better than witnessing the chaotic shambles that was left of her family's life.

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin at the loud crash to her left and scurried to the far wall of the kitchen. All was silent once more, the only audible sound being the loud, pounding of her heart in her ears. '_What if the people who did this are still in the house?_'

Back pressed to the wall beside the counter, Kagome blindly searched amongst the debris around her to find anything she could use as a weapon. She glanced down as her hand found a balled envelope. '_Great. What am I going to do with this? Throw it at them and run away?_' Just as she tossed it over her shoulder, it hit her.

'_Yash_.' Hesitation kept her from picking it up. Did she really want to renege and eat her own words? A clatter coming from the dining room had Kagome seizing and unfurling the paper. She glanced up. Thankfully the kitchen phone had been spared and was still in one piece on the dispenser. Kagome hastily snatched the cordless phone and returned to the floor. Swallowing a mouthful of pride, she punched in the numbers as best she could with shaking fingers and held the phone to her ear.


	7. Acquiescence

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing but the plotline.

**A/N: **Yes it has been what, half a year since my last update, but now I'm here, in the flesh…or something of that sort. What can I say? Being in a rut sucks ass. Haha.

* * *

**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**:**R** (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Kik/Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancée Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful, exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist.

**Chapter Seven: **_**Acquiescence**_

* * *

Sprawling, bronzed muscles expanded and bunched beneath taut skin in a supple exhibition of masculinity, the series of graceful, yet feral movements controlled with strict execution. Beads of sweat rolled in and out of every smooth groove and contour of his upper body. With amber eyes unwaveringly fixated on one point, Inuyasha followed through with the stringent routine, barely audible grunts passing between clenched teeth. His palms, though slick with sweat, did not fail him and continued to hold steadfast onto the metal bar.

So caught up in his thoughts, he wasn't aware of the burn of muscles as his forearms heaved the bulk of his weight until his shoulder became parallel with the metal bar. In fact, he felt absolutely nothing, no fatigue, no throbbing pain in the hands that were clamped around the bar, no screaming on behalf of worn-out lungs. The strain of three hundred plus chin lifts that would've left the average man spent had no effect on him.

Exercising was his only healthy escape, being that didn't call for intoxication or sensory negligence as a prerequisite to alleviate stress, whether it be in the form of a brown-eyed talk show host or a company that demanded entirely too much of his time. But for some strange reason that continued to remain elusive, the mental and emotional taxations of the day continued to interpose upon his wind down time. Deadlines, clientele, meetings, money-grubbing board members, contracts all ran circles around his head, taunting him with their presence and jeering at his inability to extract himself from his troubles.

He was sick. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally. It seemed as though the bigger their company grew, the more tasks he was expected to perform. You'd think that at this point his managerial duties would be bestowed upon some brownnosing flunky, but no. His bastard of a brother wanted things to be executed efficiently and promptly, something that he deemed people below their status were not capable of handling, so the majority of the decision-making lay in their hands, much to his annoyance.

Inuyasha couldn't afford to slack off and do his own thing, not anymore anyway. There were so many things that needed to be done; things that left undone would gradually unravel the fabric that made up the corporation. What he wouldn't give to leave this world behind and return to the normal life of the average man. Damn a seven figure salary to hell. A vacation, something he hadn't done in years, was what he needed, not more cars in his garage.

But this was his life. Blood, sweat, tears, and pain went into building their company from the ground up, and he would be damned before he handed over a multi-billion dollar firm he and his brother had worked their asses off to construct.

The ringing of his cell phone cut through his troubled thoughts and pulled him back to a reality he was reluctant to acknowledge. Sighing, he released his knuckle-white grip on the bar and dropped to the hardwood floor below. Inuyasha picked up the small, white towel hanging from the handle bars of his tread mill and mopped the sweat from his face before shooting a withering glare at the cell phone resting atop his workout bench.

Damnit, he had made it more than clear that he was not to be interrupted during his exercise regiments. "Someone had better be dead," he grumbled leaning over and snatching the mobile device, his irritation faltering at the unknown number. "Who is this?"

A long, drawn-out silence filled the phone line.

Inuyasha tapped his fingers impatiently. "I hear you breathing, so speak the fuck up already and stop wasting my time."

Their breathing hitched and then there was a sudden click.

He stared at the flashing "call ended" indignantly. Someone had the audacity to get a hold of his private number and then hang up on him of all people. "Asshole." He made a move to flip the phone shut, but an insistent nagging in the back of his mind prevented such action, primarily because there were only six people that knew of this line, excluding his brother.

It was probably a wrong number.

But then again…

Acting on a whim, he scrolled to the most recent numbers and pressed send. Inuyasha grabbed his water bottom and shot a stream of the cool liquid into the dry cavern of his mouth while he waited.

The repetitive tone of the busy signal had him frowning. Just who the hell was this guy calling every district in the city. With a stubborn scowl, Inuyasha ended the call and redialed. Satisfied when it began to ring, his scowl deepened as they took their time picking up.

"Hello?"

"Just who the hell is this and how'd you get this number?" he said edgily.

"…Yash?"

Inuyasha blinked in surprise, his anger simultaneously draining from existence, for the only person who addressed him by that name being a certain smoky-eyed stripper. "Kagome? What's wrong?"

"It's….it's nothing. I'm sorry I called."

He frowned at the hesitant, thickness of her voice, as if she'd been crying. "Well, don't make it a habit of calling at odd hours of the night with nothing to say," Inuyasha goaded purposefully.

If he expected her to come back with an equally sarcastic retort, he was sorely disappointed when she sniffled then mumbled a quick apology and hung up before he could get another word in. Inuyasha slowly closed the phone, his brows creased with the weight of concern. Something was wrong. Although he hadn't known her long, he knew that she was as proud as they come and it had just taken a huge blow for her to call after their falling out, especially since it was her fault anyway.

Ok, so maybe he was partially to blame as well.

The urgency in her voice struck a chord within him, one that refused to stop reverberating for the next five minutes.

Inuyasha glanced at the digital clock overhanging the wall of mirrors to his left. It was nearly two in the morning. With a reluctant sigh, Inuyasha chucked the towel and strode out of the room decisively. It wouldn't hurt to stop by her neck of the woods considering he had nothing better to do.

Not bothering to shower and change, the silver-haired man quickly threw on a jacket and made his way to his garage, a silver BMW pulling out of his personalized driveway seconds later. The lack of traffic decreased the time it would normally take to venture across the other side of the city, and for that he was grateful.

Apprehension and fear tugged on his organs as he turned down her street and saw about three police vehicles parked in front of the shrine steps. For a second, Inuyasha froze, the familiar flashing red and blue lights triggering an onslaught of memories he'd locked away in the recesses of his mind for years. A cold knot tightened in his gut, cutting images of pooling blood and body bags flashing before his eyes.

"Stop it." Nausea churning in his stomach, Inuyasha shook his head and mentally pushed away the muddled memories. Now wasn't the time for revisiting that particular period in his life.

He pulled alongside the curb on the other side of the street and swiftly exited the car. "Hey," he said jogging across the street to the cop standing outside his patrol car with a cup of coffee in hand, "what happened here?"

With a raised eyebrow, the cop brought the steaming cup to his lips and took a large gulp. "Police business. Move along."

Inuyasha bristled at the impertinent officer. This fool obviously did not know who he was talking to, but he didn't have time to threaten the man with dismissal for information when he could go directly to the source. Inuyasha bypassed the insolent cop and ran toward the shrine grounds. Tuning out the other man's shouts and curses, he ran up the steps two at a time until he reached the top.

Amber eyes raked across the scene, a relief so profound that it almost scared him with its intensity lifted the anxiety from his chest when he saw Kagome standing with three officers in front of the house. The feeling was short-lived, because as soon as he raised his gaze and saw the broken windows, the toilet paper hanging from the large, sacred tree, and most importantly the derogatory words spray-painted across the modest house, fury poured into his veins.

"Kagome!" he yelled before he could stop himself and began marching over to where she stood with three other officers.

They reacted instinctively. The men drew their guns and pushed the stripper behind them. "Stop where you are and put your hands in the air!"

Inuyasha almost laughed at the absurdity. They thought he was the perpetrator. At least they were on their toes.

"No wait!" he heard her shout and jumping in front of the aimed weapons, "Don't shoot! He's a friend."

Ignoring the suspicious looks of the cops as he strode up to Kagome, Inuyasha grabbed her arm as soon as she was in range and whirled her around to face him. "What happened? Are you hurt? Did they apprehend any suspects?"

Her shoulders tensed under his touch. "What are you doing here?" Kagome asked steely and shrugged out of his hold.

Inuyasha could only gape at her. He traveled all the way out here to see if she was ok and all she could do was question his reasoning for coming in the first place, as if it wasn't obvious enough. His eyes hardened. Angry retorts lined on the edge of his tongue and he was three seconds away from giving her a verbal lashing when her flickering gaze connected back to his own.

The previously felt irritation bled dry as he read the fear and vulnerability lurking behind the false bravado in her blue-gray eyes.

Uncomfortable beneath the unyielding amber eyes that felt as though they were burning holes through her soul, Kagome shifted awkwardly and broke the silence. "Listen, I appreciate you coming over here, but it was really an unnecessary trip."

"What happened?" he repeated relentlessly.

She rolled her eyes at his persistence. "It's just a case of juvenile vandalism."

He raised a brow at the descriptive writing on the walls of the house. "Juvenile vandalism huh?"

Kagome opened her mouth but the lead officer, Watanabe, cut her off. "Higurashi-san, from what I and the other officers can perceive, the defacement of your home was not some random act of robbery, but a personal vendetta." He flipped open his pad. "You said upon looking inside nothing of value was stolen and the upstairs was completely untouched, right?"

Not trusting herself to talking, she could only nod in affirmation.

"Do you have any enemies?"

"No," Kagome replied automatically. She was too busy making sure bills were paid and completing homework assignments to make enemies.

"Have you recently done anything to upset someone enough that it would warrant this so-called justification?"

"No."

The tall man sighed. "Are you sure? Think long and hard. It may have been something so subtle you may have written if off. Have you been spreading rumors about someone?"

She shook her head. "I don't believe in talking about people behind their backs."

"What about a vengeful ex-boyfriend?"

"My last boyfriend is in America studying law," Kagome said thinking back to the days of Hojo. "And it could've have been him because we parted on friendly terms and he's engaged to one of my best friends."

"Stolen some other girl's boyfriend recently?" he said glancing at Inuyasha, who bristled in response.

Unbidden, the image of a familiar pair of onyx colored eyes blazing full of hatred came to mind. Kagome's stomach dropped, her face turning a lovely shade of pallid white. Mizuki wouldn't go this far because Hiten wouldn't pay her attention, would she?

'_But I wouldn't put it past her with her homicidal tendencies.'_

"Have you thought of someone?" Watanabe's voice snapped her from her thoughts.

"Well, there is this woman who I work with that has become extremely hostile of me because she thinks I'm sleeping with our boss."

Apparently not expecting this, the officer's bushy brow inclined. "Are you?"

Heat crept up Kagome's neck, but Inuyasha cut her to the chase. "If she were, I don't think that's any of your business," he growled pinning him with a glare.

The officer held the silver-haired man's gaze unflinchingly. "Well seeing as how I need to correctly assess the situation in order to carry on with the investigation successfully, I'm inclined to disagree."

"I haven't taken any favors from our boss, monetary or otherwise," Kagome mumbled, painfully aware of the scrutinizing stares of the men. "I haven't slept with him either."

Watanabe nodded. "And what is the name of the company that you work for?"

If the earth wanted to open up and swallow her whole, now would have been the opportune time. Unfortunately she was left standing topside and was not spared another onslaught of mortification. This so wouldn't have happened had she accepted the job offer at the local grocery.

"She works at a downtown club called Erotica," Inuyasha supplied intentionally, leaving out her line of work.

Seeming satisfied with this tidbit of information, the officer scribbled down something on his pad. "And the name of the disgruntled employee that's harassing you?"

"Hitoshi Mizuki," Kagome replied with relief.

"Alright. We'll question her on her whereabouts and ask around. I'll get back to you probably tomorrow or the day after." He flipped the notebook shut. "I suggest you pack a bag and stay with a friend for the remainder of the week as a precaution. Do you have someone you can call?"

"She's staying with me," Inuyasha asserted without thinking and pointedly ignored her look of indignation.

Watanabe didn't look surprised. "We'll be in touch. Good night." He tipped his hat and signaled for his fellow officers to depart.

Kagome's shoulders sagged with the weight of the world as the men descended upon the steps. "Of all times to happen," she moaned thrusting a hand through her tangled mane and lifted her gaze to the atrocity that was her home. "How am I going to fix all of this before my family gets back?"

"We'll worry about that later." Kagome jumped, momentarily forgetting that Inuyasha was still there. "For now, go back a bag and let's get going. I've got to at a meeting in six hours that I can't be late to."

"And we can't have that now can we? I don't think my conscious could take the guilt," she scoffed unambiguously.

He rolled his eyes. "You sure know how to hold a grudge."

"And I will continue to until I get an apology," Kagome folded her arms and gave him a hard stare.

"For what?" he snorted. "For extending my assistance just in case you need it?"

"No, for treating me like some charity case."

Inuyasha sighed. "You know it wasn't like that."

"It sure sounded like it," Kagome admitted pseudo seriously.

"You're not going to let this go any time soon, are you?" he smiled wryly.

"Oh, I'm all for forgiving and forgetting, as long as I get a get an apology in return." The corner of her mouth quirked, betraying her amusement.

"Fine, I'm sorry for assuming that you needed my aid, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider residing in my home for the time being," he said dutifully with a small smile.

Kagome furrowed her brow, as if in serious deliberation. "Well, bearing in mind the circumstances, this temporary arrangement will have to do. I will concede only if I can pay for rent and the use of utilities. Those," she stressed the word upon seeing offense flaring in his eyes, "are my terms. Take it or leave it."

He snorted, but knew her stubbornness would hold out forever if he didn't agree. "You're intolerable wench, but I accept your terms."

A broad grin spread across her lips. "Good. Give me two minutes." Kagome headed back into the house. "And don't call me wench, asshole," she threw over her shoulder as an afterthought.

He didn't know what brought on the inclination to have her stay at his place. It wasn't necessarily that he felt sorry for her, or either the fact that he owed her for treating as a "charity case", because neither crossed his mind. But when the opportunity to introduce something, or rather someone, unfamiliar into his excruciatingly hum drum life presented itself, he'd taken it. Maybe this would prove to be the distraction he so desperately needed.

He smirked. If anything, at least this arrangement would prove to be most interesting.

* * *

A/N: Kind of on the short side but the next will be a whopper, trust me I've already got it outlined. Thank you guys for all of the wonderful and encouraging reviews! 


	8. Complexities

**Disclaimer**: This is me not owning anything, as per usual.

**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Kik/Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful exotic that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist, especially when feelings get involved.

**Chapter Eight**: _**Complexities**_

* * *

The aroma of sizzling bacon lured Kagome back from what could possibly be described as the best sleep she'd ever had, which she found strange on two counts; the first because she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in the past five years because of the hard springs on a mattress that had seen better days decided to emerge, the second being that her mother had been too sick as of late to cook breakfast and left the task to her. She didn't mind getting up a little earlier to make breakfast, but it was nice that someone else opted to make it for once.

'_Wait a second_. _Souta and Ji-chan can't cook_. _They aren't even in the country_.'

Her eyes flew open. It took several moments for Kagome to force herself to remain calm and recall the events that led up to her sleeping in this foreign, but undeniably comfy bed. The relief she felt upon realizing her the previous twenty four hours and her agreement with Yash was short-lived, because as of now, her home lay in desecrated shambles.

A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach.

Gods, how was she going to scrounge together enough money to pay for repairs? She could work at the club full time instead of part time, but that would mean sacrificing more study time and she was already passing her classes by the skin of her teeth. Anymore negligence to her studies and her scholarship would be liable for retraction.

And although Hiten would undoubtedly lend the money for renovation if she told him what had happened, she couldn't accept additional help from him. He'd already done enough with getting her the job and the flexible hours.

Kagome groaned into the pillow, the fluffy warmth of the bed no longer providing her comfort. _'I wish I could just go back to sleep and pretend none of this happened.'_ But with too many problems and too few solutions, she didn't have time to waste lounging around.

Making a mental memo to look up contractors in the area, Kagome reluctantly pushed off the covers and descended upon the shaggy red rug that lay beneath the bed. Looking around the room, she had to give Yash props. For a guy, he had taste and was an oxymoron if she ever heard one.

It had a funky flare to its theme; the rich reds, deep blues, soft purples, and vibrant greens setting off one another. Large, colorful throw pillows sat in a comfortable pile at one end of the room, oak floorboards draped with multi-colored shaggy rugs, mirrors were created in three dimensional art pieces hung suspended from the walls and the towering windows were decked out in yards of red velvet.

She glanced at the clock. It was eight o'clock, meaning she had forty-five minutes until her first and "favorite" class, biology. She had time to sit down for breakfast instead of the usual grab-and-go snack bar. Within minutes Kagome washed up in the adjoining bathroom and followed her nose to the mouth-watering aroma.

Inuyasha hummed softly to himself as he flipped the pancake with the metal spatula. It had been a while since he'd last fixed a breakfast for someone, including himself. He'd gotten rid of his old chef when he and Kikyo had moved into the house last month. But with their combined hectic schedules, they'd never had a chance to sit down and have a breakfast together. Of course there was the occasional luncheon and a dinner every now and then, but never a breakfast.

So it was strange that he was back in his condo cooking breakfast for a woman he'd known less than a week. He hadn't even made it for his own fiancé yet. He'd been raised to appreciate the first meal of the day. His mother would skin him alive if she had found out that he'd been skipping breakfast for the last three years.

The thought caused his heart to lurch painfully, but he pushed it away and focused on the task at hand. Inuyasha turned off the oven and with a flick of the wrist, expertly flipped the cake onto the plate.

"Wow, I didn't know bachelors these days could cook."

He lifted his head to the young woman standing clad in a white tank top and blue pajama pants with puppies trotting in diagonal lines. Her long, wavy mane had been pulled into a sloppy bun and her smile was bright.

Inuyasha's mouth grew dry. He shook it off and tried to redirect his concentration to the pancakes.

"Sleep well?" he asked bringing the plate of pancakes to the glass table.

Kagome grinned. "Best I've had in a while." She went over to the chair he was pulling out for her and sat down. Her eyes widened as they roamed over the steaming meal spread out over the table. Bacon, scrambled eggs, miso soup, steamed rice, and pancakes had her salivating from the mouth. "You really didn't have to go through all of this trouble for me though."

He snorted and plopped down in his chair. "Who says I did this for you?"

"So you eat this much food every morning?" Kagome asked, skepticism scrawled across her face.

"Damn straight I do."

She watched as he hefted large helpings of food onto his plate. "Are you eating for two?"

"I will be soon if you don't stop yapping and start eating. Females are too scrawny nowadays anyway."

"I am not scrawny," Kagome protested and looked down to reaffirm the admission.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It was a generalization. Trust me, you're anything but skinny."

"So now you're calling me fat?"

"Wench, if you-" His exasperation faded at the playful glint dancing in her stormy eyes.

"Cute."

She grinned and piled up food on her plate. The combination of traditional Japanese and modern Western cuisine was both strange and appealing. "This is the first time I've had miso soup with pancakes, not that I'm complaining," Kagome added quickly when his brows began to knit together.

"Do you ever shut up?"

Not taking any offense to the plausible question that held no contempt, Kagome chewed pensively on a strip of bacon. "No, no I don't think so. I've always been talkative and with my family abroad at the moment, I'm extra wired since it's so quiet at home." She stabbed a pancake. "Or what's left of it."

Inuyasha regarded her quietly with a new respect. Beneath the smiles and the happy façade she'd almost perfected, he could see the inner strength holding her together. He could practically see the burden riding on her shoulders. He knew because the same burden mirrored his own. And although she still didn't know of the notoriety of his name –and he secretly hoped she never would – she knew he had money and had balked at the notion of financial assistance, then refused to reside in his home unless she paid for rent.

He was suddenly glad that he'd offered her a place to stay while her home was being renovated. The average female would have noticed his lavish lifestyle and would have been sniffing at his heels for handouts or sneaking into his bed in an attempt to seduce him. He couldn't the number of times it had happened during the pre-Kikyo era.

Inuyasha inwardly winced at the thought of his fiancé. They hadn't had a chance to get together ever since she cancelled on him a couple of days ago because of a last minute interview she wanted to conduct with some famous Hollywood actress in the States. She was due back either tomorrow or the day after. They still hadn't discussed living arrangements and whether or not it was a good idea for him to move back in the house. In all honesty, he didn't mind being back in his penthouse. He enjoyed his privacy and the solitude that it offered.

"Wow, this is really good," her voice rippled through his thoughts.

"I should be insulted that you would think otherwise," he scoffed.

Kagome rolled her eyes and didn't let his arrogance ruin the magnificence of the food. "I'm serious. I don't know many guys who can actually cook for themselves and make something halfway decent. Who taught you how to cook?"

She immediately regretted her words –though she didn't know why since the question hadn't been too probing– as he abruptly shut down, concealing any and all of his emotions. '_Did I say something wrong?_' Apparently she did because a long, uncomfortable silence settled over the kitchen soon thereafter and confirmed her faux pas.

Kagome played around with the last bit of eggs while racking her brain for something to say, but nothing came to mind. '_So much for being talkative_.' Sighing, she drank the rest of her orange juice and stood. If she thought he would say something as she was leaving, she was sorely disappointed.

The next half hour was spent preparing for a full day of classes. After dressing, Kagome gathered all of the books she would need for the day and double checked to make sure she had the research paper that was due. Once satisfied, she grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Hopefully the bus station wouldn't be too hard to find, if this neighborhood even had one. Most people in this area were probably driving Porches, Mercedes, or some equally high-priced imported car.

Kagome did a double take when she saw Yash standing by the front doorway wearing a costly, custom tailored suit that hugged him in all the right places. His aura screamed wealth and exuded so much self-confidence that it made her feel extremely self-conscious. His dark platinum hair had been brushed back pulled into a low ponytail that set off the chiseled perfection of his cheekbones and gave his amber eyes a definitive glow.

"You ready to go?"

Blushing at her errant lapse of sanity, Kagome snapped out of her daze. "Excuse me?" Did he just volunteer to take her to school?

"I said are you ready to go. I have to be at work in thirty minutes so let's get a move on."

So she hadn't heard him wrong, but she couldn't accept his offer. This was taking hospitality above and beyond what was called for. "That's okay. I'm going to take the bus. It's no problem."

He heaved a sigh and instead of answering, took her elbow and maneuvered her out of the door. Kagome knew he was only half-listening to her protests as they rode the elevator to the garage, but she couldn't help but voice her incredulity. Despite his gruff personality and the scowl that was permanently attached to his face, Yash was actually a really nice guy. And that threw her off because he totally redefined her misconceptions about the so-called rich and infamous. His types were supposed to be snobby and scoff at the inferiority of the working class.

But here he was offering her his home while her own was being restored and driving her to school when it was probably out of the way.

Ten minutes later they were on the road and Kagome was still no closer to resolving the issue that sent Yash into shut down mode earlier. Maybe she was reading too much into it. If he didn't want to open up, there was nothing she could do about it. But she couldn't help but feel a tendril of disappointment. Because it wasn't like they were friends or anything right?

As they neared the campus, Kagome gave him directions to the location of her first class. The car stopped in front of the tall, domineering science building.

"My mother."

With one hand on the door handle, she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, but he was staring straight ahead. "My mother wanted to be a chef. She taught herself how to make different cuisines and always added something extra to personalize the plate." A small, nostalgic smile tilted the corner of his mouth upward. "She made sure my brother and I knew how to cook from childhood so that when we grew older, we wouldn't have to depend on women to provide us with hearty meals."

They sat in silence for a minute after his disclosure. It was obvious by the warmth in his tone that he loved his mother, but what had the wheels cranking in Kagome's brain was his usage of the past tense. Had his mother passed on or was he simply reminiscing about his childhood?

She smartly kept her questions to herself and instead instinctively placed her hand over his. "Thank you," Kagome smiled, grateful that he had decided to share a piece of his past with her.

Surprise flashed briefly within his amber eyes before he returned the facial gesture and nodded. "Now go to class. I don't want you bitching to me later on about how I made you late."

She eeped at the time and hurriedly gathered her things. "Thanks Yash. I'll see you later."

"Wait, what time are you done?"

"You don't have t-"

"What time?" he fired relentlessly.

"Four o'clock," Kagome gave in, knowing there really was no point in arguing any further.

"If I'm not here, I'll have my driver pick you up."

She closed the door and waved as he sped off into the distance. "Wow, who was that?"

Jumping slightly, Kagome turned and smiled at her longtime friend and classmate Takane Ayumi. "Um… a friend."

"Why didn't you tell me you had a hot new 'friend' with a Ferrari?" Ayumi asked grinning slyly.

Kagome groaned. "Long story."

"A short version will do just fine."

"How about we discuss this over lunch?"

Ayumi reluctantly conceded. "Fine. Meet me at the café at 12. And be prepared for the second degree."

"Oh, joy."

As soon as Inuyasha pulled off the campus he called the office. "Yo, Miroku. Cancel all of my morning meetings….I don't care that he came all the way from London…Fine, reschedule for this afternoon…It's none of your fucking business what I'm up to…Whatever, I'll see you when I get in." He pressed end and redialed another number.

After verifying information with his secretary, Inuyasha detoured from his usual route to work. A couple of missed meetings wouldn't kill him or his stockholders. On the way to his destination, he recalled this morning's conversation with his new roommate and the crestfallen expression that had crossed her face when he clammed up in response to a seemingly simple question that refused to relinquish its death grip on his conscience.

Truth be told, the unexpectedness of the question had taken him by surprise. It hadn't been exceptionally prying, but it had elicited memories that he had assumed were resolved and buried. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

If it was one thing Inuyasha never discussed, it would be his family, save for his asshole of a brother. Everyone, including Kikyo, knew that and pussyfooted around areas in which they knew he would be sensitive to. He had never wanted to talk about it; not thirteen years ago, not now, not ever.

But somehow, baring the sliver of his past to Kagome had eased some of the heaviness from his chest; not considerably but enough that he became aware of the intensity of its existence.

Inuyasha snorted and shook his head. Thirty thousand yen per hour for therapy and some slip of a girl had managed to accomplish more in one morning than his therapist did in a year. Un-fucking-believable.

Two large trucks and a van were already parked outside of the shrine when he pulled up. Inuyasha mentally commended their punctuality as his long legs scaled the steps. The workers were walking around the perimeter observing and taking notes as they assessed the damage.

"Nakamura-san?"

Inuyasha glanced to his right as a short, pudgy man barely five feet tall approached him with a clipboard in hand. "Is everything under way?"

The balding man nodded. "Yes sir. From what we gathered, the extent of damage isn't enough to warrant too much alarm and shouldn't cost more than several hundred thousand yen."

"The cost is of no concern to me," he said with a hard edge.

"Of course not sir," the man said hastily. "If you'll follow me, I'll give you the walk through."

Inuyasha followed the contractor into the house and listened as the man went on about their undertakings and repairs necessary. In actuality, things weren't as bad as they initially seemed. Doors and windows would have to be replaced, new coats of paint for the interior and exterior, a bit of sweeping, and pieces of ripped or smashed furniture would have to be replaced.

He vaguely wondered how hard it could be to find the exact replicas of the ruined fixtures. There were no rare articles or precious heirlooms, but some of the things could hold sentimental value and he knew that to people like Kagome they held more worth than objects selling for millions. Inuyasha voiced this matter and didn't bat an eyelash after hearing the additional charge for restoring everything.

"As I said before, money is no object, so don't waste any expense. I want this place restored to its original state."

The contractor nodded and wrote something down, then excused himself. Inuyasha continued his tour of the downstairs and made his way into the kitchen. A spark of anger kindled within him. Who would go so far as to desecrating a holy shrine and its caretakers? From what he gathered from the week he'd known Kagome, she wasn't the type of person to ignite hostilities to the point of retribution. Though she did have a tendency to run her mouth and speak her mind, she was a kind and gentle soul that wouldn't be able to harm the proverbial fly. Someone would pay for this misdemeanor, even if he had to see to it personally.

Amber eyes stopped their scan after coming across a calendar that had managed to come out unscathed and still hung pinned to the refrigerator. Curiosity overriding his better judgment, Inuyasha stepped across the littered floor and up to the black fridge.

There were writings in boxes under every day, indicating chores that needed to be done, assignment due dates, and other work related activities. But one particular date stood out amongst the rest.

Tuesday after next had been circled in red marker, a large happy face centered in the middle with 'Homecoming!' scrawled beneath.

'_I bet that's the day her family comes back_.'

Inuyasha contemplated with a small frown. What was the deal with her family anyway? She had lied to him about their whereabouts. That hadn't bothered him as it was none of his business. But what did strike a resonating chord deep within him was her initial response to his query. The fleeting expression of absolute anguish and true helplessness had solidified his need to know, his need to help in any way possible because if there was one thing he couldn't do, it was standing by while someone was in pain.

Inuyasha knew all too well what it was like to have no one to turn to, no one to rely on when he was suffering. And he'd be damned if to let that happen to someone else, especially a someone else that was he beginning to grow fond of.

* * *

**A/N**: And little by little we see more of Inu's past and that good stuff. Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback and your encouraging reviews. You know how they make my day and my fingers work harder to produce faster updates. Haha. Thank **Kimmie** for editing my shit work because we all know by now I'm good with the ideas but bad with the grammar. I'm still not completely satisfied with my last few chapters and might to some heavy revisions but that won't be until I finish the story (hopefully).

Tune in next time to see what unfolds next folks.


	9. Debatable

**Disclaimer:**Nothing new; I don't own jack besides the plotline.

**Title**:_**As Deemed By Fate**_

**Rating**: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)

**Pairing**: Kik/Inu/Kag

**Summary**: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, a beautiful exotic that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist, especially when feelings get involved.

**Chapter Nine**: _**Debatable**_

* * *

Kagome knew that telling her friend of her current predicament was not a wise decision. At first Ayumi had been excited to learn about her new, gorgeous male associate, but the excitement had quickly gave way to unease as the story progressed. Of course Kagome had made the occasional cut and paste so as not to let the girl know of her extracurricular activities from dusk til dawn because that wasn't really important. But even the censored version had Ayumi's eyebrows rising and a frown forming on her lips.

"What were you thinking?" Kagome winced, the question affirming her thoughts.

"I didn't have time to think," she defended, chasing salad around the plate with her fork. "He was kind of a last resort."

Ayumi gave her a look that clearly denoted her displeasure. "So your house is vandalized and you turn to a complete stranger that you've met, what, two seconds ago, instead of the friend you've known since childhood? Now why doesn't that make any sense?"

Kagome groaned. "Ayumi, don't be mad. What was I supposed to do? I don't think your roommate would appreciate having me show up unannounced and crashing at your place without her consent."

"Thugs broke in and trashed your house. I'm sure Kari wouldn't have minded you staying over a few nights."

"Yeah but that's the thing. I don't know how long it'll take to have everything repaired and replaced." Kagome rubbed her eyes with the pads of her forefinger and thumb. "I haven't even looked up a contractor yet. I planned on doing it this morning but I couldn't miss that bio lab."

Ayumi's critical expression softened and she placed a hand over the other girl's. "I'm sorry Kags. I didn't mean to go for the jugular like that but I'm just worried about you. You've got so much on your plate already and then something like this happens. Who would do something like that to a holy shrine?"

Kagome's eyes narrowed as a fleeting image of Mizuki popped up. "Someone pretty screwed up in the head. But the police are looking into it now and plan on giving me a call later on today."

Ayumi shook her head and sipped her carbonated water. "So what's up with this guy Yash you're staying with? Are you sure he can be trusted?"

"From what I've seen so far, yes. He hasn't taken advantage of the situation or myself and doesn't seem to have any underlying motifs." A brief smile appeared on her lips. "I believe he's genuinely a nice guy."

"And probably the last of his kind." Ayumi sighed and stared at her friend imploringly. "Are you sure you don't want to stay over at our place for the time being? I mean the couch has seen better days and Kari's boyfriend has practically made himself at home, but we could work something out for you."

Kagome waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine where I am and it shouldn't take more than a couple of days to have everything fixed, hopefully."

Ayumi twisted a strand of her curly hair, her expression less than convinced. "I don't know. Something about this doesn't sit well with me. But," she quickly tacked on as Kagome opened her mouth, "I have faith in your instincts and if you really think that this guy can be trusted, then you should stay with him. And if he tries anything, you will let call me? There are too many sickos in the world nowadays for you to be too trusting."

"Even though I doubt the possibility of that ever happening, if it does, yes, you'll be the first to know. Now," Kagome clasped her hands together and leaned forward, all too eager to switch topics, "enough about me, what's going on with you and that new transfer student Nobunaga you were telling me about?"

Ayumi's features lit up at the mention of her crush and she launched into a rather lengthy narrative involving one of the few guys she actually deemed as "dateable". While Kagome smiled and asked all of the appropriate questions, she could not help but run through her situation over and over, doubts beginning to spring from the corners of her mind.

Why had she chosen to pick up that balled piece of paper that he'd scrawled his number on? Why hadn't she called Ayumi or Momiji or even Suki? Was it really because all the girls had roommates and boyfriends and short on space? Or something else?

And was it really such a bad idea to crash at some random guy's pad?

Ok, Yash wasn't totally random. They'd met briefly, under completely sketchy circumstances yes, and he had been a flirt once second then a chauvinistic asshole the next, but he had redeemed himself after rescuing her from almost being raped.

Reliving the memory for a fleeting second, Kagome inwardly shuddered and forced another encouraging smile as Ayumi continued to go on about the boy. She didn't even want to think about what would have happened if Yash hadn't been there to fend off those guys. For some inexplicable reason, she trusted him; her instincts hadn't sounded any alarms when she'd first awoken in his bed after being knocked unconscious. In fact, she felt completely at ease in his presence, something that baffled her to no end because ever since she began working at Erotica, she had become slightly uncomfortable around men. Perhaps it had to do with her line of work and having to endure the stares, the drooling, the obviousness of their lust.

Kagome couldn't even remember the last time she had a date. Hiten was part of the reason she hadn't completely written off the males in general and now she could add Yash to that category of respectable gentlemen, reserved for the few men she'd met that deserved her time.

The half smile that had steadily worked its way on her face wilted as she distantly recalled that Yash had told her that he had a girlfriend. Why was it that the good ones were always taken?

After lunch, both girls parted ways with promises to call one another that night and headed off to their classes. The rest of the day passed by without incident. Psychology and Japanese Lit were, as always, fascinating and ended much too early for her liking.

Sighing, Kagome stuffed the textbook into her bag just in time to avoid being hit by a glass door. "Thanks for nothing," she glared daggers at the back of the guy's head who hadn't made an effort to hold the door open for her. Kagome swung the bag over her shoulder and began walking toward the bus stop.

"Higurashi-san."

Stopping in her tracks, she turned around and blinked at the young man dressed in a dark navy suit standing behind her. "Yes?"

"My name is Watanbe Hiroki. Inu…err, Yash-sama has designated myself as your driver for the afternoon," he explained, covering his faux pas smoothly.

Comprehension dawned upon her face. She had forgotten all about Yash's promise to provide transportation. "Um, that's ok, I don't really need-"

"Oh but I must insist. I was given very specific orders to make sure that you arrive in a safe and timely manner back to the condo."

Kagome's brow furrowed. Though a gentleman Yash may be, he was still a condescending jerk. "I guess it wouldn't kill me…"

A knowing grin appeared on the man's face. "Right this way."

She followed him toward the parking lot, somewhat confused as to how the chauffeur recognized her. It wasn't as if she'd given Yash a picture of herself. Kagome was still ruminating on this when the man stopped in front of one of the most expensive looking cars she'd seen in her life.

"A Phantom? He made you pick me up in a Rolls Royce Phantom? Does this man's ego have no end?"

"If I may be so bold, Higurashi-san, Yash-sama has a particular inclination for traveling in style, and that extends to those he offers rides to."

"Clearly," she responded dryly. "And please, call me Kagome."

"Then you may call me Hiroki. Pleasure to meet you." He gave a dramatic bow.

'_Talk about over the top_,' she thought but couldn't help but grin. "Nice to meet you too Hiroki."

Smiling pleasantly, he stepped up to the car and opened the door. Kagome thanked him and climbed inside. The interior smelled of newness and leather. The seats were plush and comfortable and felt like heaven against her back. Kagome allowed herself to get comfortable and leaned back further.

"Actually Hiroki," she began when he turned out on the ignition, "would you mind stopping by my house. I need to see a few things before I call the contractors."

"No need to worry Kagome," he said glancing at her through the rearview mirror, "it has all been taken care of."

She stilled. "What do you mean?"

"The contractors have already assessed the damage and are scheduled to begin work tomorrow. Were you not informed?" he asked, legitimately confused.

The temperature in the car rose several degrees, anger prickling the hairs on her neck and arms. "No I was not informed. I take it that Yash-sama was responsible for this as well."

The chauffeur coughed, whether to hide his amusement or embarrassment she wasn't sure, but she did know that the next time she saw that arrogant businessman, she was not going to be held accountable for her actions. How dare he go behind her back and make decisions that were her own? Kagome had thought she'd made it more than clear that he was not to meddle in any of her affairs unless she told him otherwise.

"Yash-sama and I need to have a talk."

* * *

The day had been long; too long.

The meeting that Inuyasha had told his secretary to reschedule with the British clients did not go as planned. First off they were not happy about having to readjust their schedule for the sake of his convenience and what should have taken no more than an hour ended up going just over three. It took them forever to choose a loan option and being that it was their first joint collaboration, they had had a few reservations about aspects involving trade and project financing. The meeting had been one of the most painful in his life. Even Sesshomaru, who always maintained stoic professionalism, had to deviate from the norm, demanding that the men either settle on an agreement or find another firm.

That had been the only highlight of the day. The rest had been packed with work, work, and more work.

"As is the story of my life," he muttered running a hand through his hair. It was five minutes past ten and he was still in this fucking office. He had tried to call Kagome's cell to tell her that he'd be home late and to find something in the fridge to eat for dinner, but she hadn't picked up. That meant one of two things; either she was busy studying or she was angry at him over something.

But what the hell could she be mad at him over? It couldn't be about having a driver pick her up from school, as they'd resolved the issue that morning and she didn't seem to have a problem with it.

He grimaced. Unless Hiroki had told her about the contractors. The girl was as stubborn and prideful as they come. He couldn't remember the last time a woman turned down anything he offered with no strings attached, not that he that he did this sort of thing on a daily basis. In fact, he couldn't call to mind doing something so generous for someone besides himself in his life.

A gentle rap at the door pulled Inuyasha from his thoughts.

"Come in," he said without looking up from his work, naturally assuming it was the janitor, as neither his brother nor his employees bothered to knock. Hell, he didn't even know why they bothered installing a door. They all seemed to like barging in on him whenever they pleased.

"Hey."

The silver-haired man glanced up and was moderately surprised to see Miroku. Ever since their pseudo argument the other day, the two hadn't exactly been on speaking terms or rather Inuyasha had refrained from speaking or acknowledging the guy he'd presumed was his friend. Call it childishness on his part, but he was a grown ass man and would be damned if he'd have someone else tell him what to do.

"Why are you standing there like an asshole? Get in here already," he grunted while initialing the last memo of in the stack that had been sitting on desk for the past couple of days.

Miroku offered a hesitant, yielding smile as he took a seat. "So, am I correct in assuming that we're back on speaking terms?"

"No," he said flatly. "Is that all you wanted?"

The other man had to suppress the urge to roll his mauve-colored eyes. "Inuyasha, seriously how long do you plan on not speaking to me?"

"As long as it takes you to realize that I am not a fucking two-year old and stop giving me bullshit advice on how to run my life," he responded reshuffling all of the papers and setting them aside.

"How many times to I have to tell you, we are not trying to run your life," Miroku groaned sinking deeper into the chair. "We are merely trying to ensure that you are comfortable with the decisions you are to make."

"I.e., run my life," Inuyasha translated sourly. "Listen, not that I don't appreciate all you've guys have done for me, but that part of my life is over and done with. This is a new chapter and I'm a changed man. Fuck, I'm getting married in a few weeks Miro, how much evidence do you need?"

The corner of Miroku's mouth quirked. "I suppose you have changed."

"Damn straight I'm have."

"I don't know," the man murmured. "Maybe it is we who have not adjusted."

"Well then you need to get with the program because I don't plan on having this conversation again. So are we clear?"

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Yes mother, clear as crystal."

Inuyasha grinned, more than happy to do away with the awkward tension. "Good. Now that the stick has been uprooted from your ass, tell me what's going on with you."

"Oh the usual. Sango and I got into another little tiff the other day because she thinks the random numbers on my cell phone are all from the woman I am allegedly seeing behind her back."

"Are they?" Inuyasha asked bluntly.

Miroku had the decency to look disgusted. "Why I would never cheat on my lovely dove a girlfriend? She is the apple of my eye, the temptress of my heart, the-"

"Alright I get it, save it Romeo."

"How about I give you all the details over a beer? It's been a while since we last went out and since I'm confined to the couch tonight, I doubt Sango will care about what time I come in."

Inuyasha shifted uneasily, his thoughts turning to Kagome. What he wouldn't give for a beer right now, but he couldn't very well leave his houseguest to her own devices, especially when she was pissed at him. "Actually I have more work I have to do at home, so I'm going to have to take a rain check."

This time it was Miroku's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Work? At home? There are two words I'd never thought I'd hear you say in the same sentence."

He didn't answer and instead busied himself with tidying up his desk. "Well that's what happens when you're making seventy million yen a year."

Miroku stared at him a second longer, the answer obviously stirring his suspicions. And what more was he supposed to expect? He rarely took work home, claiming that they were two entities that needed to be separated at all times.

Inuyasha nearly exhaled his relief when the man nodded. "Fine. But you owe me a beer next time we go out."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get your damn beer."

"And I'll hold you to it." Miroku gave a mock salute. "See you tomorrow."

He waited until his friend left before picking up the phone and speed dialing Kagome's cell. Inuyasha frowned when it went straight to voicemail. Where the hell was she? He dialed another number. "Why isn't she answering her phone? What the hell did you tell her?"

"Ah, Inuyasha-sama, so nice to hear from you," Hiroki replied respectfully, too accustomed to his boss's brusque personality to take offense to his lack of courtesy. "I dropped off Kagome-san at her job about four hours ago. Although she politely declined a ride home, I did tell her that I would be there to pick her up at 10:30."

"Don't worry about it; I'll pick her up."

"Are you sure? It would be no problem."

"I'm sure. You can call it a night."

"It's your call sir. Kagome-san said she would be waiting at the back gate."

"Thanks. Have a good night."

"You t-'" Inuyasha flipped the phone shut before the driver could finish, grabbed his car keys, and headed out the door, all but forgetting the untouched stack of files sitting at the opposite end of the desk he'd been planning on bringing home.

Her job did not sit well with him at all. She was basically selling her body to make money. Granted sex was not involved but it might as well be with all of the pole grinding and lap dances.

He could still remember her _riveting_ performance the night they first met. The contortions she could do with her body were no less than amazing. She certainly knew how to make a guy respond.

Inuyasha tried to shake the replaying of her movements, of the perfection of her body, the swell of those curves-fuck, that was really not helping. He was beginning to see her as two different people: the seductive, tempting character Ember she posed as during her routine and Kagome, the intelligent, passionate college student that he knew was destined for great things.

And he knew it would be best if he kept the two separated at all times.

It didn't take long at all for him to reach the club since he worked only several blocks away. The place was just as crowded as it had been the night of his party. The parking lot was packed with cars and the lines at the front doors literally extended as far as the eye could see. Miroku hadn't been kidding when he'd said this was place was _the _hot spot. If it was this packed on a week night, he'd hate to see what it looked like on the weekend.

Thankful he didn't have to deal with the backed up traffic many party-goers were probably bitching about in the lot, he made another right and continued onward until he reached the back gates. "Hey pal, open up, I need to pick up Kagome," Inuyasha called out the window to the guard posted.

The large, burly-looking man with a thick mustache and beady eyes stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Ri-ight. Sir, the back entrance is off limits to everyone except the personnel."

Inuyasha swallowed a growl and tried to maintain a calm disposition. "She asked me to pick her up after her shift ended."

"Oh really?" the guard remarked matter-of-factly. "Well she didn't inform me that some white-haired weirdo was picking her up, so there's no way I know if you're lying or not."

It was taking all of the inner strength he could muster from getting out of the car and beating the living shit out of the arrogant security guard. This asshole obviously didn't know who he was talking to. His knuckles whitened on the wheel.

"Kenji, you big bully, stop being so mean to my friend."

The gruff façade of the man immediately toned down in intensity as a woman no more than twenty-one walked around the corner of the box, a teasing smile on her face. "Ah Kagome, sorry about that. I didn't know he was with you. He was the fifth guy tonight that asked for you." He stared at Inuyasha stonily . "You can never be too safe."

Kagome laughed, a light, tinkling sound that unwound some of the tension that had coiled in Inuyasha's chest. "Thanks Kenji. It's good to know that you have my back."

"Trust me Kagome, it's my pleasure." He winked flirtatiously.

Inuyasha gnashed his teeth together as Kagome giggled again and said good-bye before getting in on the passenger side of the Ferrari. He backed out of the entry way and flipped the bird at the guard.

"Was that really necessary?" She didn't bother concealing her irritation.

"After what that idiot said to me, yes it was called for," he shot her a glare as they sped off, which she graciously returned.

They held one another's heated gazes. Kagome was first to look away, more so because she wanted him to pay attention to the road and not get them killed over a staring contest. "You know what Yash, I don't think that I can do this."

His annoyance suddenly faltered. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that this whole me living with you and you taking care of responsibilities that are mine is not working out."

"This has to do with contractors," he stated rather than asked.

Kagome felt like yanking her hair. Was he trying to be this dense on purpose? "You're not getting it. You had no right to conduct business that I should have initiated and been in charge of."

"What is with you and not being able to accept generosity when its offered?"

"Yash, you treat me like a child. You act as if I can't handle things on my own, like I need someone to hold my hand and tell me what to do."

Inuyasha felt the vaguest impressions of déjà vu. Did he not just have this conversation with Miroku not twenty minutes ago? He ran a hand over his face, the fight beginning to seep from him. "I'm not treating you like a child. But is it a crime to see someone in need and want to do something to help?"

"Ha!" Kagome jabbed in the shoulder, her eyes bright with determination. "So you do see me as someone who always needs assistance."

He let out an exasperated noise. "No, you're taking me words out of context."

"Am I?"

"Yes, no, fuck, I don't know. Do you enjoy playing mind games with me?"

"But Yash, your mind is simply too easy to manipulate. I couldn't resist," she said with a hint of a smirk.

"You wound me."

"Punk."

"Wench."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Kagome withheld her next insult, realizing that at some point she'd failed to maintain her grip on the irritation that had plagued her all afternoon. After Hiroki had kindly informed her of his employer's involvement in her personal affairs, she'd spent the remainder of the day preparing her argument, intent on setting the record straight once and for all, even if it meant her moving out and renting a room at a motel until her house was restored to its previous state.

'_So how did my logical discourse become reduced to petty name-calling?_' She sighed. '_Well, there goes that_.' "

Inuyasha sneaked a peek at her and was pleased to find that curls of smoke no longer emanated from her ears. "So, are we good now?" he ventured cautiously.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yash, the next time you make any decisions that involve me or anything that goes on within my life, just let me know. I don't like being kept out of the loop. And if I say I don't want your driver to pick me up or if I want to take care of something myself, then please respect my wishes and don't interfere. Can you do that?"

'_Crisis averted_,' he grinned to himself. "Yes ma'am. Now that that's off of our chests, how about sushi?"

She glanced at the digital clock lodged in the dashboard. It was almost 11pm. "Isn't it a little late for dinner?"

"I can't sleep on an empty stomach."

"Well I can't sleep on a full one."

"Then you can watch me eat."

"Because that's so exciting," she drawled sarcastically.

Later on that night after they'd eaten, or rather after Kagome had watched him eat and made comments on his voracious appetite, and they'd both said their good-nights and he was beginning to think it wasn't so bad having a girl for a roommate since there would always be more food for him, Inuyasha retired to his room and checked his messages as he prepared for bed.

"**You have three new messages. First message:**

"_Half-breed, report to the office at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. We have to finalize the final pieces of the project before it goes before the board. Do NOT be late again or try and reschedule for a later date. This has to be taken care of now. And answer your phone from now on. This Sesshomaru does not like speaking-"_

Inuyasha pressed the erase button before the recording could finish. "Asshole," he muttered unfastening his cuffs. "Just because we have different mothers does not give you the right to call me half-breed."

"_Yo dog shit, poker night is tomorrow and you will be there. Don't try and weasel out of it like last time you little pussy. Peace_."

"Fuck you and your gay ass poker nights Kouga." He erased the message and kicked off his shoes.

"_Hi, it's me." _Inuyasha froze mid-movement at the sound of his fiancé's voice_. "The interview ended earlier than expected so I took a plane back to Japan this morning. I just landed a few minutes ago. God it feels like I haven't seen you in weeks. Um, I'm going to swing past your place on my way home. It's ten o'clock now, so I should be there in about an hour or so…I-I can't wait to see." _

"**End of messages. You have no more new messages**."


End file.
